“Boxing entices you to place your entire self [in it],” notes Worthington. So she resumed her career in 2022 and amassed 11 straight wins through July 26, 2025, winning the WBA interim junior welterweight title and bringing her record to 12-0. Her dream to fight for the undisputed title and even a matchup against Katie Taylor seemed possible going into her fight against a tough opponent, Edith Soledad Matthysse, on the Shields vs. Franchon Crews- Dezurn undercard on February 22, 2026, in Detroit. Then something completely unimaginable happened. Comfortably seated in her corner after Round 8, trying to listen to her trainer, Worthington heard loud and clear the word “STOP!” “There was so much going on; I wanted to listen to my coach. It was very odd, knowing I had two more rounds and I was winning.” She was confused and not certain what to do, but then she strongly heard, “I told you not to go back out there.” In that moment, she knew it was God. She turned to her coach and said, “God told me not to go back out there for the ninth round, and I can’t disobey.” The referee was stunned and came over and asked if she was certain. She confirmed her decision with her husband, who also worked her corner. Upon leaving the ring, she didn’t experience anything unusual. On the walk back, she said hello to fans and relatives – all of them a bit dismayed by her decision. She needed three stitches for a minor ear laceration. Then a ringside physician conducted a brief exam – reportedly all normal. Sammy said they asked questions, checked her pupils, etc. Again, all normal, and she was cleared to leave. Then her head began to hurt, and she told her team, “We need to go to the ER.” By the time she arrived at the hospital, her headache was nothing like the typical minor headache she said many fighters experience post- fight. “Mine went from a level 0 to
100. I knew something was wrong, and in the ER, I started vomiting. I believed I was dying.” Despite an overflowing emergency department on a Sunday night, the staff recognized her symptom escalation and ordered a stat head CT that showed a 6mm subdural hematoma (bleeding on the surface of the brain). “I knew why God pulled me out of the fight,” she said. The neurosurgeon told her that if she had gone back out for the ninth round that her life as she knew it could have been over. Subdural hematomas are the leading cause of fighter death due to the rupture of tiny bridging veins connecting the brain to its covering. Minutes can make the difference. It was clearly evident when NYSAC physicians rapidly transported Shadasia Green after she collapsed due to a subdural hematoma during her April 17, 2026, bout against Lani Daniels. Worthington was hospitalized in the ICU. Following neurosurgery, evaluations and additional brain scans that showed improvement, she was released home a few days later with monitoring. Then her medical case became even more unusual. A few days after discharge, she developed severe low-back pain. An MRI of her lower lumbar spine showed a 7cm subdural hemorrhage. This is an extremely rare occurrence but possible after a brain bleed. She is currently under observation by a neurosurgical specialist. Let’s go back a bit. Prior to the February fight, Worthington won a 10-round decision against Victoire Piteau. She suffered severe left-sided head and facial swelling. She was medically cleared post-bout with no neuroimaging (MRU/CT). There are several issues related to what happened: Sometimes the winning fighter can be severely injured. As physicians, ringside and in the dressing room, we
too often concentrate on the loser – or the fighter who looks more bruised or bleeding. Bleeding in the brain typically starts before the fighter enters the ring – during training or from an unrecognized prior injury. In my humble opinion, women fighters are not as carefully evaluated as their male counterparts. Women’s symptoms and risks are different. Both male and female fighters are not sent frequently enough for a precautionary head CT following a tough fight. Until proven otherwise, severe facial/head swelling can be a clue as to what could be going on in the fighter’s brain. A thorough post-fight exam is crucial, but it doesn’t tell everything. Fighters may not recognize or experience symptoms right away – or in some cases be reluctant to complain. None of us working in combat sports are doing enough to educate fighters. No one likes to hear fighters say they would risk dying in the ring to win. Yes, they admit the risk, but they need to know much more. Sammy’s words tell it all: “I didn’t know anything about brain bleeds. Fighters should be educated to know the telltales of something serious. Who are we to question the ring doctor?” Sammy went on to note that fighters can’t always make that decision themselves. “The people around you should know your signs and symptoms, as they are the ones to protect you in the ring.” I contacted the Association of Ringside Physicians in advance of their annual convention, which took place at the end of May, and implored them to have Sammy speak. Who could be more important? Sadly, after several emails back and forth, they offered to put her on a panel but told me there was “no room” for any more speakers. One can only hope there will be no further life-threatening boxing brain injuries missed by ringside physicians in the coming year.
I intended to write a story about two- vs. three-minute rounds in women’s boxing until I learned of Sammy Worthington. As a former ring physician and neurologist, her story and what can be garnered from her history took precedence. Samantha “Sammy” Worthington followed her older brother into amateur boxing at age 10 – although she wanted to begin at 8. But they advised her to wait two years. At age 13, she knew she had something special. Knocking out opponents in tournaments became her complete identity as a boxer. THE FIGHT DOCTOR A STORY THAT COULD SAVE A BOXER’S LIFE By Dr. Margaret Goodman
Sammy Worthington (left) made a shocking decision during her fight against Edith Soledad Matthysse.
Her success as a five-time national champion and many other accolades consumed her; she quit school and quit jobs. But she soon realized that she needed to place boxing “in the right place” in her life. In 2016, she went to the Rio Olympics – not as a competitor, but as a chaplain. While in the amateurs, Worthington developed a close relationship with two-time gold medalist and world champion Claressa Shields, who eventually became her co-promoter and mentor. In 2019, Sammy turned pro. Then Covid hit, and like many others, she endured a two-year hiatus from the sport she loved so much.
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