Boxers get into the ring and engage with violence voluntarily. People who are attacked are the victims of violence. They weren't looking for it and didn't ask for it. It was foisted upon them.

That word feels uncomfortable now because it's been hijacked by the political right to mean you are weak and a whiner - something that is shameful in a dominance hierarchy system because it's zero-sum. You are a "loser" because you failed to win in a contest of violence.

I think that's a problem that they have changed the meaning of this word that accurately describes what happens when a person is harmed, injured, or killed as a result of a crime, accident, or other event or action. Words do matter, but the ship has probably sailed on this one so that it will never have it's original meaning again.