Championship boxer Hannah Rapp has died. She was 26.
“On Saturday, July 18, 2026, just before 10:00 a.m., deputies with the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the 2300 block of FM 150 in reference to a major crash involving a vehicle and a bicyclist,” a statement issued by the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office via their official Facebook page read in part, announcing the athlete’s untimely death.
“Initial reports indicated that a vehicle had struck a bicyclist, leaving an adult female lying in the roadway,” the statement continued. “First responders arrived on scene and provided emergency medical care before the victim was transported to a local hospital. Despite lifesaving efforts, she later passed away at the hospital.”
The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office then identified the woman as “26-year-old Hannah Rapp,” an exciting and promising boxer who ran track at Purdue University before relocating to College Station, Texas, where she became a professional athlete while also working as a full-time fire and life safety inspector at Texas A&M University.
“During the course of the investigation, investigators learned that the driver of the vehicle, identified as 31-year-old Charles Medina, had passed two bicyclists traveling along FM 159,” the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office continued in the same statement. “After passing the bicyclists, Mr. Medina stopped his vehicle, reversed, and struck one of the cyclists.”’
The authorities continued, “At this time, investigators believe this was an isolated incident. The investigation remains active and ongoing as detectives continue to gather evidence and review all available information.”
According to the statement, Medina was arrested, “charged with manslaughter” and taken to the county’s detention center “without incident.”
“The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office extends his deepest condolences to the family and friends of Hannah Rapp during this difficult time,” the authorities concluded.
Prior to her death, Rapp — who was born in Indiana — boasted an impressive 8-0-1 boxing record before she lost a World Boxing Council (WBC) featherweight title fight against Tiara Brown, who paid tribute to the late athlete on social media in the wake of her shocking death.
“I will never let your name fade Hanna [sic],” Brown wrote via her Instagram Stories on Saturday, over a photo of the competitors hugging in the ring and a black-and-white photo of Rapp posing for the cameras with her fists up.
In a comment on a separate Instagram post also paying tribute to Rapp, Brown described the late athlete as “the best dance partner I have ever faced as a pro.”
“When you asked for my autograph, it filled my heart because we were getting ready for war, yet she was still asking for my autograph,” Brown continued in the comment, per ESPN. “It made me smile, we fought a GREAT fight for the fans from the 1st bell to the last! It was my honor to share the ring with her.”
Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the WBC, also issued a statement acknowledging Rapp’s tragic passing, her contribution to the sport and the pain her friends, family and many fans must be in as a result of her death.
“The loss of Hannah Rapp leaves us heartbroken,” Sulaiman said in a written statement shared on the WBC’s website. “She was an exceptional boxer, but above all, an invaluable member of our boxing family. We join in the grief that overwhelms her loved ones, her team, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and supporting her throughout her brilliant career.”
