Death of Boxer Kim Duk-koo

Date: November 13, 1982 • Location: Washington, United States

South Korean boxer Kim Duk-koo suffered fatal brain injuries during a match with American Ray Mancini in Las Vegas, leading to significant rule changes in the sport.

Kim Duk-koo was a South Korean professional boxer who competed in the Lightweight division. He died after a world lightweight championship boxing match against Ray Mancini in 1982. His death sparked reforms aimed at better protecting the health of boxers, including reducing the number of rounds in championship bouts from 15 to 12.