Things like these perfectly portray how dangerous the sport of boxing can be. Luis Alberto Lopez has reportedly suffered a brain bleed after his fight against Angelo Leo on 10th August at the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque. ‘El Venado’ Lopez came into the fight as the IBF featherweight champion, but things quickly took a scary turn.

Leo, who dodged the initial solid headshot from Lopez, responded perfectly with a clean left hook, which landed square on Lopez’s head, sending the now-former IBF featherweight champion crashing onto the canvas in the 10th round in what was dubbed by many as the “knockout of the year”. There was no question. The fight was over and referee Ernie Sharif made sure that it was. But the question is, could that have caused the brain bleed? 

Luis Alberto Lopez: Brain bleed puts boxing career in jeopardy

Eight days after the fight concluded, Boxing Kingdom hopped on X today and shared the unfortunate update about Lopez’s condition. They wrote, “Luis Alberto Lopez suffered a brain bleed after his fight against Angelo Leo. Get well champion.” The bout was the fourth straight title defense for Lopez, which came after Lopez won it from Josh Warrington in December 2022. 

According to Web MD, despite the robustness of the human skull, it has the potential to fracture, and when the sharp edges of the fractured bone rub against the delicate brain tissue, it can cause internal bleeding. Also, injuries to the head can cause damage to blood vessels inside the brain. This can cause the blood to pool and cause a hematoma, which can lessen or cut off blood flow to the brain. 

While the severity of Lopez’s condition is not known yet, the 33-year-old is reportedly recovering from the injury. And this incident brings his future in the sport into question. On the flip side, after the fight during an interview, Angelo Leo revealed the shot that dropped Lopez was no fluke. 

Angelo Leo shares the context behind his winning left hook

In an interview with ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna, Leo revealed that the devastating punch was the result of months of meticulous practice. “That left hook, we’ve been practicing all camp,” Leo explained. “For four or five months, I’ve been practicing it. Not in the gym, but in my room in front of the mirror.” 

“I just kept throwing that left hook, and it paid off in, I think it was, the 10th round,” he continued. Leo’s victory over Lopez marked his fifth consecutive win, bringing his record to 25-1. After claiming the WBA continental featherweight title in January and defending it in April, Leo is now setting his sights on unifying titles with the likes of Rafael Espinoza or face Naoya Inoue next. 

It appears while Angelo Leo didn’t intend to put Lopez’s health in jeopardy, his left hook proved to be way too powerful. However, there’s also the possibility that the injury wasn’t the result of one particular shot but multiple shots over time, which boxers know quite too well. Everyone at Essentially Sports wishes Luis Alberto Lopez a speedy recovery. Do you have any words for the former champion?