WBO Exec Off to Korea Following Choi's Death

WBO Asia Pacific Chairman Leon Panoncillo is leaving for South Korea to personally attend Yo-Sam Choi's burial and extend his organization's condolences for the boxer's fate.

Choi, who had been in a coma since successfully defending his WBO Intercontinental flyweight crown on December 25th in Seoul, South Korea, passed away at around midnight Wednesday after being removed from a life-support device.

"We deeply mourn his passing, and we are extending our deepest condolences to the family. This is something we don't want to happen to any boxer, but things like this happen in the sport," said Panoncillo in an interview.

The fighter was declared brain dead on Tuesday by the Seoul Asan Hospital after two examinations by a nine-member panel.

Choi (32-5, 19 KOs) was the former WBC light flyweight title holder who won the crown from Saman Sorjaturong in October 1999 and defended it four times before losing it to Jorge Arce.

Panoncillo added that more safety measures should be undertaken by boxing authorities, indicating that the boxers' safety should be the paramount consideration at any given time.