Boxer Hannah Rapp dies at 26 after alleged road rage crash in Texas
Police say Charles Medina intentionally reversed into Hannah Rapp as she rode her bike; he has been charged with manslaughter.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
Hannah Rapp, a 26-year-old professional boxer, has died after authorities in Texas said a driver deliberately backed a vehicle into her while she was riding a bicycle.
The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office said Rapp was killed Saturday after Charles Medina allegedly passed her, stopped his vehicle and then reversed into her. Medina was later arrested and charged with manslaughter, according to the sheriff’s office.
The charge has not been proven in court. No response from Medina was included in the law enforcement account cited by TMZ Sports, and the investigation remains open.
A fast rise in the ring
Rapp was building a name in boxing after turning professional in 2024, TMZ Sports reported. Before that, the Indiana native competed in track at Purdue University.
She later moved to College Station, Texas, where she boxed while also working full time as a fire and life safety inspector at Texas A&M University, according to TMZ Sports.
Her most recent major bout came in a WBC women’s featherweight title fight against Tiara Brown. Rapp went into that fight with an 8-0-1 professional record before losing by unanimous decision, TMZ Sports reported.
The fight came just a month before her death, and the reaction from inside boxing arrived quickly.
Tiara Brown pays tribute
Brown honored Rapp on Instagram, calling her “the best dance partner I have ever faced as a pro.”
Brown also remembered a moment before their title fight, writing that Rapp had asked for her autograph before they met in the ring. Brown said the gesture “filled my heart because we were getting ready for war.”
“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,” Brown wrote on Instagram.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman also posted about Rapp’s death, saying the boxing community was “heartbroken.” He described Rapp as “an exceptional boxer” and “an invaluable member of our boxing family.”
Rapp’s death cuts short a career that was moving fast. According to TMZ Sports, she had gone from college track athlete to full-time safety inspector to unbeaten boxing prospect before taking her first professional loss in a title bout.
The Brazos County Sheriff’s Office has said the case is still under investigation.
This story draws on original reporting from TMZ.