Taps For Francisco Leal: Should He Have been Retired After the Gradovich Fight?

After southpaw super bantamweight boxer Francisco ‘Frankie’ Leal was stopped in the tenth round by future world champion Evgeny Gradovich in a Texas bout in March 2012, Leal was taken to the hospital on a stretcher. The damage done to Leal was sufficient to prevent him from fighting in the United States again should he attempt it. A year and a half later, Leal died in a bout with Raul Hirales on October 19, 2013, in Baja Mexico.

Leal versus Hirales, Complete Eight Round Bout on YouTube October 19, 2013

Leal, a Mexican from Baja California, fought five more times in his native Mexico, outside of the jurisdiction of American authorities. In the first six months of 2013, Leal fought four times. Leal stopped Gilberto Perez and Tomas Sierra, veteran with losing records. Leal lost an eight round split decision to 13-3 Cesar Juarez. Leal won an eight round decision over 41-25-1 veteran German Meraz, winning every round.

Against 19-2 Raul Hirales, Leal came off the canvas in the sixth and eighth rounds before getting knocked out and falling into unconsciousness. Leal appeared to get hit twice behind the head by right hands thrown by Hirales. Leal died three days later. The question is begged as to weather a boxer who incurs serious damage in a bout held in the United States can necessarily be stopped from fighting elsewhere. The answer is no. Leal, who was 26 years old, finished with a career record of 20-8-3 with 132 knock outs. Leal, Hirales, and Abner Mares were in the same stable of Mexican amateur Olympians in 2004.