On March 29, the boxing world was rocked to its core by the tragic passing of Gabriel Oluwasegun Olanrewaju during Fight Night 15 of the Ghana Professional Boxing League (Season 3). Less than a month later, on April 18, another gut-wrenching loss has struck the sport, deepening the sorrow felt across the globe.

On April 12, Lucas Lazarini, a 29-year-old amateur boxer with lofty dreams and an unmovable spirit, was trading punches in the Paraná Amateur Boxing Cup against Gabriel Guimaraens. The incident happened during the 3rd round. As the two were going at it, Lazarini, dressed in blue, was on the receiving end of a brutal left hook to the chin from Gabriel Guimarães, dressed in red. Despite having a head guard, the Ponta Grossa native immediately collapsed in the ring, with just 2:38 minutes left on the clock. The referee, seeing the severity of the fall, immediately threw the ‘X’, calling off the fight, as the gravity of the moment sank in for those attending the event. His wife, Isabela Melo, later revealed that the sudden movement of his neck contributed to the severity of the injury. A chilling video of the event captured the final seconds of the fight, showing the exact moment when the 29-year-old collapsed.

According to the Parana Boxing Federation, the Paramedics at the Ney Braga Sports and Leisure Center, in São José dos Pinhais, were quick and gave him all initial care before rushing Lazarini to the Hospital do Trabalhador in Curitiba, where scans revealed a brain hemorrhage. Despite fighting desperately for his life for almost a week, and a moment of hope where he briefly woke up once, answering the prayers of his team, the Brazilian boxer succumbed to his injuries last night.

Lazarini wasn’t just a fighter; he was a husband and an expectant father, whose wife is now left distraught. “It was our dream, and the miracle was the conception. Now, God needs to act in Lucas’ life,” she pleaded, praying for the life of her husband.

In a heart-wrenching social media post, she shared her grief: “My heart is broken.“ Lazarini’s friends have also paid tribute to him, honoring his memory, showing just how big of a hole the 29-year-old has left in everyone’s life.

Lucas Lazarini, gone too soon, leaving a void that only a few can fathom

Lucas Lazarini’s best friend, Riran Zenidim, expressed his grief on social media. He wrote, “I’m sorry for your departure, brother. I’m glad you went on to do what you loved.” The massive hole of his friend’s departure will never be filled. However, Zenidim takes peace in the fact that he was able to spar with his friend before the tragic accident. “I will always remember our sparring in the rain. Rest in peace, warrior. I will honor your name in the next fights. May God take care of you, brother,” he wrote.

Mourning her husband, Isabela Melo is still coming to terms with this tragic reality. “To think that I will never see his smile. Feel his kiss, his cuddle, and his touch on my belly for our baby,” she wrote, distraught.

Lazarini’s coach, Paulão Zenidim, also honored the memory of his prized student. “Champion, if I had known fate, I would have chosen the oldest event in Latin America to end your career on your feet. I would have done something better,” he wrote. The coach defended Panda Fight Team and urged everyone to pray for Lazarini’s family, instead of making it a spectacle.

Undoubtedly, boxing has lost a warrior, but more importantly, a wife has lost a husband, and a child their father. It is in times like these that we are forced to consider the precarious nature of this sport and the dangers at play every time a boxer puts on the gloves. We at EssentiallySports extend our deepest condolences to Isabela and her family during this difficult time.