Musa Askan Yamak, a 38-year-old professional Turkish-born German boxer, died after suffering a suspected heart attack during a match in Munich on May 14, according to reports.
Yamak collapsed in the ring on Saturday when he was in the middle of a fight facing Ugandan veteran Hamza Wandera, RT reported. He collapsed and fell unconscious on the canvas right before the start of the third round.
Hasan Turan, a member of the Turkish National Assembly, offered condolences to the late boxer’s family and fans several hours after news of his death broke, saying that he wishes “God’s mercy on the deceased.”
“We lost our compatriot Musa Askan Yamak, a boxer from Alucra, who won European and Asian championships, at a young age after a heart attack,” Turan said on Twitter.
“We met at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey when he came to Ankara for the competition,” the official added.
Paramedics were immediately called to the arena as trainers and medical personnel on the scene rushed into the ring in an effort to rescue Yamak, but they were unable to revive him.
German news outlet BILD, citing a police spokesman, reported that the paramedics who rushed to the scene were initially disturbed, but not hindered, by “emotionally charged fans and family members.”
“To ensure the safety of the paramedics, we sent out a lot of patrols … We then set up a protection corridor on-site so that the paramedics could work safely and conscientiously,” he said.
Yamak’s trainer and supervisors disagreed with the statement, saying viewers and fans helped by administering first aid before the paramedics arrived.
“We dismantled the ring and ropes ourselves to make it easier for the medics,” they told the paper. “To make it easier to lift the stretcher into the ring.”
Yamak started his professional boxing career in 2017 and gained recognition in the sport after winning the WBFed international title by knocking out Belarusian boxer Siarhei Huliakevich. He was undefeated with a record of 8–0, including eight KOs.
His death is the second recorded in the ring this year.
In January, Armenian-born Russian boxer Arrest Sahakyan died after suffering a knockout defeat in a fight in late December, sports newspaper MARCA reported.
The 26-year-old suffered a swell on his brain and fell into a coma for 10 days before passing away on Jan. 7.