Raven Chapman Recovers After Brain Surgery Following Sparring Injury

Boxer Raven Chapman is recovering after suffering a brain haematoma and cerebral oedema following a sparring session in Denmark on July 24. The 32-year-old credits her trainer’s fast response with saving her life, while the boxing community has rallied to raise £97,792 for her care.

The 32-year-old was airlifted to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma after collapsing following a training session abroad on July 24. Chapman recalled feeling fine heading into the final workout of the week, marking her third sparring session of the week. Trainer Stuart Scott recognized that she was not acting like herself and promptly called for an ambulance before anything even happened, a decision Chapman believes averted a fatal outcome.

Emergency Surgery and Hospital Treatment in Denmark

Medical staff diagnosed Chapman with a brain haematoma and cerebral oedema upon her arrival at the hospital. The procedure she underwent successfully stemmed the bleeding in her brain and helped to stabilise the swelling. Chapman noted that the rapid timeline between the emergency call and the operating table proved critical to her survival.

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.

Raven Chapman, professional boxer

Community Fundraising and £97,792 in Donations

Following her hospitalisation, an online fundraiser was launched to help cover the costs of returning her to the UK and funding her long-term recovery. The boxing community shared the page widely across social media channels, generating a total of £97,792 in donations. Major figures and promotional outfits across the sport stepped up as leading contributors.

Prominent boxing entities including Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, and Most Valuable Promotions’ Nakisa Bidarian contributed as leading donors alongside messages of support from fellow professionals like former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith. Chapman expressed profound gratitude for the financial and emotional backing from across the sport.

Retirement from Professional Competition

Chapman trains out of Warriors Gym in High Wycombe and was born in Norwich. Across her professional career, she compiled a record of 10 wins and two defeats. Her notable bouts include a loss to Skye Nicolson in October 2024 during a bid to win the WBC featherweight belt—marking the only women’s world title fight ever held in Saudi Arabia.

Reflecting on her health and the physical toll of the injury, Chapman confirmed that her competitive fighting days are finished. She stated that she would likely never seek a boxing licence again out of a desire to protect her loved ones from enduring that level of pain.

Although initially wheelchair-bound during the early stages of her recovery, Chapman managed to lace up a pair of gloves again, noting that she smiled her way through hitting the pads and bags even if sparring and fighting are permanently off the table.