By Robert Brizel for Brick City Boxing

In a new boxing tragedy fatality so confusing the World Boxing Council and many boxing media outlets got the name of the deceased wrong due to a deliberate licensing deception which duped unsuspecting ring officials, Albanian featherweight Boris Stanchov died from injuries received in the ring. The late Stanchov, 0-6, whose boxing license was suspended or revoked due to medical reasons in Albania, was illegally using his cousin Isus Velichkov’s professional boxing license on September 21, 2019, against Ardit Murja, 4-1 with two knockouts, Durres, Albania, in a six rounder at Qazim Dervishi, Shkoder, Albania.

Stanchov collapsed during the fifth round of the bout, and then fell to the canvas in his corner unconscious, and died. Death occurred right then and there, despite the best efforts of medical teams on scene to try to save him. Stanchov was immediately taken to the nearest hospital by ambulance. He could not be resuscitated. Albanian television stated a boxer identified as Isus Velichkov died in the ring of cardiac arrest. It was only then Isus Velichkov came forward with his incredible story-his cousin had died in the ring instead.

According to Velichkov after the death, “He (cousin Boris) has been playing (planning to fight) with my card (my boxing license) since 2018 (when he lost his license). He said, no problem, the coach knows.” Velichkov (who allowed his cousin to use his boxing license, which is renewed annually), and Stanchov’s trainer (who was aware of the deception and allowed Stanchov to fight under Velichkov’s license) are both liable for the tragic outcome.

The very concept a medically suspended or banned fighter could fight on somebody else’s boxing license is never seen, given astute boxing commissions know a fighter’s true identity by photographs and other biometric data. Fighters have fought under assumed names in the past, particularly when they sought to fight again quickly after fighting a bout, even the next day. There is a major difference between using false credentials versus using someone else’s legitimate credentials. It should not take the death of Boris Stanchov for an athletic commission to put more stringent boxing regulations in place, to insure fighters do not steal and use another fighter’s identity to fight in the ring. BoxRec online is now updated to show the late 0-6 Boris Stanchov. His ring death occurred illegally against Ardit Murja (a total mismatch against a winning record fighter) when Stanchov was not allowed to fight for medical reasons. Stanchov’s death has sent shock waves through the worldwide boxing community. According to Brick City Boxing writer Ken Hissner, the death of Stanchov is “A tragedy! You wonder how lax things are over there (boxing regulations in Albania).”