Was going to post something about this. Hope he makes a full recovery. Gotta ask, though...wasn't he injured in his fight with Gradovich? I know he left the ring on a stretcher following that loss, too...:think If that was indeed the case, you have to wonder why he was allowed to keep fighting.
Valid point - but in fairness to Baja California Sur's boxing commission, he was coming off a victory in their state just months earlier and was coming in 3-1 (2) since the Gradovich loss. He is also the same guy who unexpectedly popped Roberto Marroquin's cherry a couple of years ago...so maybe they were thinking a step back up in class like Hirales wouldn't automatically spell grave danger for him. Attaining that sort of "comeback kid/never count 'em out" reputation can actually be detrimental...
Sad to report news that super bantamweight Frankie Leal has passed away at the age of 26. Leal had fallen into a coma after suffering a KO loss to Raul Hirales on Saturday night in Cabo San Lucas, BCS, Mexico. He was taken from the ring on a stretcher and brought to a hospital in Los Cabos, then transferred to Laz Paz and later he was brought to a hospital in San Diego, but doctors were unable to do anything for him. He had a record of 20-8-3 with 13 KOs. Leal was also taken from the ring on a stretcher after his 2012 KO loss to current IBF featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich in San Antonio, Texas. However Leal returned to the ring in January of this year and his fight with Hirales was his fifth fight in 2013. :-( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFB1tB6aYX8
Just saw he passed RIP one tough game we all love but things like this remind us exactly the risks every fighter takes and why they should always get respect for even doing it
really sad to hear about leal full condolsening to his family. i think his team fought hirales wasnt a step up due to his record and routing by frampton