Undefeated Pro Boxer Dead at 38 After Suffering Heart Attack in Ring

By Brian Jones

Boxing fans are mourning the loss of an undefeated boxer who died on Saturday. According to a Turkish official (per New York Post), Musa Askan Yamak died after suffering a heart attack during a match. He was 38 years old. Yamak collapsed in the ring while facing Ugandan veteran Hamza Wandera in Munich, Germany. 

"We lost our compatriot Musa Askan Yamak, a boxer from Alucra, who won European and Asian championships, at a young age after a heart attack," Hasan Turan wrote on Twitter. It was reported that Yamak took a heavy punch from Wandera in the second round of the fight. He tried to come out to fight in the third round but collapsed before the round began. Yamak was rushed to a local hospital and pronounced dead of a heart attack. 

"The paramedics saw turbulent scenes of emotionally charged fans and family members on-site, a spokesman for the Munich Police said, per The Sun. "To ensure the safety of the paramedics, we sent out a lot of patrols. We then set up a protection corridor on-site so that the paramedics could work safely and conscientiously."

Yamak, who was born in Turkey, turned pro in 2017 and posted an 8-0 record in his career. In his last fight, Yamak defeated Siarhei Huliakevich and won the World Boxing Federation International Light Heavyweight Championship. The incident led to various reactions on social media. 

"In boxing it's complicated, there's something called commotio cordis, which is a disruption of the heart rate from a blow and in boxing it's entirely possible," one person wrote. "This if it was during the fight is not the fault of climate change, vaccines or drugs. Another person shared thoughts on the incident. 

"Sad times," the Twitter user said. "Poor guy & his family. TBH I am a bit surprised by this. Of all the sports, boxers seemed to be the group of athletes who were most switched on about the jabs being poison than any other sports people – just an observation."

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