Boxer Luis Quinones, who was an undefeated junior welterweight before he was knocked out Saturday night in a Colombia bout against a pal and sparring partner, has died of his injuries.
Quinones, who was 25, entered the fight against Jose Munoz at Coliseo Elias Chegwin with a 10-0 record. The fight, in Barranquilla, was close, but in the eighth and final round, Quinones went down with just 30 seconds remaining. He was scooped from the canvas and rushed to the North General Clinic in Barranquilla, where he underwent surgery for “neurological deterioration as a result of head trauma.” Less than a week later, he was dead.
“You went ahead of us my loving brother, now you are with your heavenly father, whom you adored and served, I love you my brother Luis Quinones, forever and ever in our hearts,” his brother, Leonardo Quinones, wrote on Facebook.
Duele mucho ver partir a un joven lleno de sueños y con todo un futuro por delante. A la familia del boxeador santandereano Luis Quiñones: un abrazo de corazón, lamento mucho este difícil momento. pic.twitter.com/GYKh3dj6pN
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) September 30, 2022
Munoz (9-0, 7 KOs), had been a sparring partner of Quinones. Munoz lost his mouthguard in the final round, prompting referee Leonel Mercado to send Quinones to his corner while Munoz put his mouthguard back in, according to Salvador Rodriguez, of ESPN Deportes. Once the fight resumed, Munoz floored Quinones , who never recovered.
“I never thought that a dream could turn into a real nightmare,” Munoz, who is from Venezuela but fights out of Colombia wrote in an open letter which was made public before Quinones’ death. “The desire to succeed in life put us both on the same path, but because of those things in life and especially the profession we chose, today you are in a situation that we never imagined.”
Quinones was declared brain-dead Thursday, but remained on life support until midnight.
Cuadrilatero Boxing, which promoted the fatal fight, released a statement on social media expressing its sorrow.
“Cuadrilatero Boxing is deeply saddened by the death of Luis Quinones, an exceptional and disciplined human being, who always showed the greatest commitment to this sport,” the statement read. “Luis was passionate about boxing, so much so that he left his hometown of Barrancabermeja to continue his career in Barranquilla and become a national athlete. His idol was Julio Cesar Chavez.”