Duk Koo Kim

November 13, 1982 - On this night was a brutal boxing match between world lightweight champion, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini, and a South Korean challenger named Duk Koo Kim.

14 rounds into the bloody bout, Mancini connected with a hard right to Kim's battered face. The boxer fell against the ropes and hit the canvas with a thud. He would wobble to his feet but referee Richard Green stopped the fight and declared Mancini the winner by TKO.

Kim had absorbed what seemed like a neverending volley of punches. During one burst in the 13th round, he was hit 39 times in a row. Tragically, Kim kept coming back for more.

Shortly after the fight was stopped, Kim collapsed in the ring and lapsed into a coma. Emergency surgery was performed to try to relieve pressure on his swollen brain, but Kim would never wake up. 4 days after the boxing match, doctors removed him from life support and he died.

The tragedy was just beginning. 3 months after her son's death, Kim's mother killed herself by drinking a bottle of pesticide. Richard Green, the man who some blamed for not stopping the fight sooner, killed himself the following summer.

Ray Mancini was never the same. He continued to fight and defended his title for another two years before losing to Livingstone Bramble. In interviews he says he's still haunted by Kim's death.

The tragedy forced the World Boxing Council to revisit many of its rules and safety procedures. Title fights were reduced from 15 rounds down to 12. New pre-fight medical tests were instituted, including electrocardiograms and brain tests.

Boxing remains one of the deadliest sports. 361 boxers have died in the ring since 1945.