Chapman thanks trainer and donors after 'freak' injury

Published1 hour ago

Boxer Raven Chapman believes the fast actions of trainer Stuart Scott may have saved her life when she suffered a bleed on the brain over the summer.

The 32-year-old was airlifted to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma following a sparring session in Denmark on 24 July.

Chapman had collapsed after training and was taken to hospital after Scott called for an ambulance, to be later diagnosed with a brain haematoma and cerebral oedema.

"I remember the final spar where it happened, It was the third spar of the week and I felt fine going in there," she told BBC South Today.

"It was just a sort of freak injury that I never thought it would happen to me, we (herself and Scott) have done hundreds of sparring rounds together and my fights.

"He knows the kind of things that I say and I wasn't acting myself from what he said, that's when he called an ambulance before anything even happened.

"I sat down and then it all sort of happened after that, luckily with where I was at the time, I think in under an hour from when the ambulance was called I was then into surgery."

After reaching hospital, the procedure Chapman underwent successfully stemmed the bleeding in her brain and helped to stabilise the swelling.

A fundraiser was then launched online for people to contribute towards getting her back to the UK and her long-term recovery.

A total of £97,792 was donated after the page was shared widely among the boxing community on social media.

Chapman's promoters Queensberry, Matchroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn and Most Valuable Promotions' Nakisa Bidarian were among the leading donors.

"All the support that I got was just amazing," Chapman added.

"That's why, with all the fundraising money, I'm going to use that to make sure I'm getting everything so that I get better as that's why people donated.

"It brings a tear to your eye when you see it and how much people are there for you in the community, it's a special world, the boxing world."

Chapman 'gutted' at not being able to achieve dreams

Norwich-born Chapman trains at Warriors Gym in High Wycombe and as a professional won 10 of her 12 fights with just two defeats.

At one stage of her career she was based in Bournemouth, training alongside former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith, who was one of many professional boxers to share a video message of support for her.

Chapman lost to Skye Nicolson in a bid to win the WBC featherweight belt in October 2024, the only women's world title fight ever to be held in Saudi Arabia.

She admitted that not being able to now achieve what she had hoped in the sport will to be difficult to come to terms with.

"I probably would never get a licence again after this," Chapman said.

"Even if they said I could, I probably wouldn't want to risk putting my loved ones through that pain of it again.

"I'm gutted that I'm not going to achieve the dreams I did have, which I knew I would be able to achieve, but it is what it is.

"Maybe one day I'll help other boxers achieve those dreams, I've still got a bit of time before I decide exactly what it is I can do and see where I want to be."

Having initially been wheelchair-bound in the early stages of her recovery, Chapman finally managed to lace up a pair of gloves again this week.

Although her days of competing in the ring may be over, she can still enjoy some aspects of the sport as she continues into the next stage of her life.

"I loved it, I think I smiled my whole way through it," she added.

"As much as I may never spar again or fight again, I can still do the craft and hit the pads and hit the bags and enjoy it."

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