Tampa, Fla. ? Boxing announcer Mark Beiro has called scores of professional and amateur fights in his career, but he refuses to be ringside at Toughman bouts.

The competitions — pitting inexperienced fighters against each other in unregulated bouts, billed as “brawling for fun” — appeal to the “uncaged savage in all of us,” he said.

“Toughman loosens about every restriction that boxing currently has and makes it that much more dangerous,” said Beiro, one of the nation’s best-known boxing announcers. “Personally, I am surprised more people haven’t been permanently injured or killed in it.”

Criticism of the events flared up again last week when a 30-year-old mother of two died after entering a Toughman competition in Sarasota. She was the 10th contestant to die in the 24-year history of Toughman.

In a statement, competition founder and promoter Al Dore denied that the events were dangerous, and he billed them as safer than conventional professional and amateur boxing.

After the woman’s death, though, Dore temporarily halted the traveling show.

Sarasota police are investigating whether a crime was committed when Stacy Young, who had never boxed before, was pummeled by a woman who appeared to have more experience fighting.

As the fight wore on, people in the crowd were yelling for someone to stop it. Young’s daughters, ages 12 and 9, were among them. “They are just devastated,” said Don Meyers, Young’s brother-in-law.

Officials in several states have attacked the fights as not having adequate safeguards.

Referees in Toughman matches are not required to have the same formal training or pass the same strict exams as referees in professional matches or sanctioned amateur bouts.

Still, the competitions have been wildly popular. They were portrayed in the 1983 movie “Tough Enough,” and are credited with giving a start to the fighting careers of Mr. T and World Super Heavyweight Champion Eric “Butterbean” Esch.

Thomas Green, a Texas A&M University associate professor of anthropology who studies combative sports, said Toughman bouts appealed to people looking to prove their bravery.

“One of the things they get out of these things are some stories,” he said. “Everyone has had playground fights, but not everyone has gotten in the ring.”