Female Boxer Dies After Amateur Bout

Becky Zerlentes, 34, died Sunday afternoon after being knocked out by Heather Schmitz in a Colorado Golden Gloves boxing match. Zerlentes is believed to be the first woman to die in an amateur boxing match in the United States. Zerlentes was wearing protective headgear but was knocked unconscious by a single punch in the third round. Blunt force trauma to the head was the preliminary cause of death. Results from an autopsy were not immediately available. USA Boxing, which oversees the Golden Gloves, lifted its ban on women in 1993 and currently has 2,200 registered participants.