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CNN Live Sunday
Heavyweight Brad Rone Died During Fight In Utah
Aired July 20, 2003 - 18:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A tragic story out of the world of boxing now, a heavyweight named Brad Rone is dead after a fatal blow in the first round of a bout in Cedar City, Utah. Michael Rossen (ph) from CNN affiliate KTVX has more now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL ROSSEN, KTVX CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Five seconds before the end of round 1, Billy the Kid Zumbrun landed a shot to the kidneys of Brad Rone. The bell sounded and Rone collapsed. A ringside physician tried to revive the fallen boxer as a stunned crowd shouted encouragement.
JO ANN ALDREDGE, WITNESS: I was just like, oh my God, you know, just there was nothing, you know, you're just standing there going, you know, and everybody was screaming breathe, breathe, come on guy breathe.
ROSSEN: Earlier in the round Zumbren noticed his opponent didn't look right and asked Rone if he was OK. The 260-pound Las Vegas fighter replied he was fine but two minutes later Rone was dying.
EDDIE EVANS, OWNER OF CEDAR RACEWAY: One guy right near the bell started punching the guy in the side and I think he maybe hit him twice at the most and they didn't look like they were real hard punches and then the guy right after the bell rang, you know, they kind of -- the ref was right in there and then the guy just collapsed.
ROSSEN: Neither witnesses nor investigators believe the boxer's death was the result of a blow to the body. A cardiac arrest appears to be the likely cause of death. A security guard joined in the lifesaving effort.
JAMES LOGAN, SECURITY GUARD: I was just giving him CPR and trying to talk to him, you know, pumping his chest, doing whatever the doctor was telling me to do to help.
ROSSEN: What were you telling the guy?
LOGAN: I was just trying to see -- trying to talk to him, trying to wake him up but his heart wasn't pumping or anything and it was -- so, I was just doing what I could to help him.
ROSSEN: Eddie Evans owns the Cedar Raceway where the fatal boxing match occurred. Freak accident, how would you characterize it?
EVANS: I'd just call it -- his time was up. I mean it could have happened in a car on the way up here, you know. That's the way I feel about it because I didn't think he got hit that hard.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And, apparently Rone was trying to earn money to help pay for his mother's funeral.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 20, 2003 - 18:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A tragic story out of the world of boxing now, a heavyweight named Brad Rone is dead after a fatal blow in the first round of a bout in Cedar City, Utah. Michael Rossen (ph) from CNN affiliate KTVX has more now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL ROSSEN, KTVX CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Five seconds before the end of round 1, Billy the Kid Zumbrun landed a shot to the kidneys of Brad Rone. The bell sounded and Rone collapsed. A ringside physician tried to revive the fallen boxer as a stunned crowd shouted encouragement.
JO ANN ALDREDGE, WITNESS: I was just like, oh my God, you know, just there was nothing, you know, you're just standing there going, you know, and everybody was screaming breathe, breathe, come on guy breathe.
ROSSEN: Earlier in the round Zumbren noticed his opponent didn't look right and asked Rone if he was OK. The 260-pound Las Vegas fighter replied he was fine but two minutes later Rone was dying.
EDDIE EVANS, OWNER OF CEDAR RACEWAY: One guy right near the bell started punching the guy in the side and I think he maybe hit him twice at the most and they didn't look like they were real hard punches and then the guy right after the bell rang, you know, they kind of -- the ref was right in there and then the guy just collapsed.
ROSSEN: Neither witnesses nor investigators believe the boxer's death was the result of a blow to the body. A cardiac arrest appears to be the likely cause of death. A security guard joined in the lifesaving effort.
JAMES LOGAN, SECURITY GUARD: I was just giving him CPR and trying to talk to him, you know, pumping his chest, doing whatever the doctor was telling me to do to help.
ROSSEN: What were you telling the guy?
LOGAN: I was just trying to see -- trying to talk to him, trying to wake him up but his heart wasn't pumping or anything and it was -- so, I was just doing what I could to help him.
ROSSEN: Eddie Evans owns the Cedar Raceway where the fatal boxing match occurred. Freak accident, how would you characterize it?
EVANS: I'd just call it -- his time was up. I mean it could have happened in a car on the way up here, you know. That's the way I feel about it because I didn't think he got hit that hard.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And, apparently Rone was trying to earn money to help pay for his mother's funeral.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
