How many fighters have more than one death related to them? Fitz killed two people in the ring, correct? Jack Perry seemingly killed two. http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=040301&cat=boxer
That was a pretty interesting find. I've never heard of him before. What's more, it's rather bizarre that in only 2 fights, both of them resulted in fatalities. However, it's likely that he may have had more fights, due to spotty record keeping in those days.
Fitzsimmons took an unusual amount of pleasure unloading on other fighters in the ring. Fitzsimmons combined a great deal of velocity and driving power in his blows. They were not your typical heavy handed blows or snapping shots. They were the type that made indentations when they landed. Historian Nat Fleischer said Fitzsimmons was the best knock out puncher at heavyweight to the head or the body. A person named Masters who knew Fitzsimons asked Fitzsimmons the secret to his amazing power. Fitzsimons said he developed his hand speed by visualizing he was falling down a water well, with only one chance to grab onto the rope to stop his fall. Fitzsimmons channeled his fear and would dart out with his hands grabbing the imaginary rope with great repetition. The power part of the equation came from Fitzsimmons long and lean whip cord like muscles that were hardened by the driving force of being a black smith. Fitzsimmons was a genuine life taker. Fitzsimmons killed three men form boxing related injures. Two from scheduled fights, and one from a sparring session.
Potentially lethal injuries were more likely before the 1930s due to the lighter, thinner gloves. A man with hard hands that didn't need much protection could do serious damage - skull fractures (basal skull fractures are particularly dangerous and can follow a whiplash or side-snapping motion), facial fractures, with resultant brain and spinal cord damage. The thinner gloves also made defense trickier. Less padding to ward off blows. Winky Wright and PBF would need to adjust their defenses if they had to wear those thin gloves. Several times a year brief fistfights result in fatalities. The usual report is that only one or two punches were thrown and nobody expected a single punch to kill someone. I would bet that Fitzsimmons had hard, strong hands.
2 fights and he killed both? Id retire quickly... (i know boxrec is sometimes inaccurate and missing info)