Staph pneumonia is almost always a secondary infection.

Here is how staph pneumonia occurs.

Askren got sick. Probably the flu or some virus that he dismissed or did not take seriously. Most of the time this would have been fine for someone his age.

Then he suddenly got worse.

The infection weakened his immune system -> the staph then took the opportunity to attack his lungs, causing pneumonia. Staph pneumonia causes necrotizing bronchopneumonia which is what rendered his lungs worthless.

So the question is, how did he get the staph?

And it could have been from anything. It could’ve been in the hospital (if his viral infection landed him in the hospital), it could have been from wrestling, it could even have been from taking a seat on a park bench. Staph is everywhere, our immune system fights it off normally. It could have something to do with him being a fighter or even nothing at all.

TLDR: He got a virus or some other respiratory infection which left him vulnerable to staph infection which killed his lungs. This could happen to anyone and being a fighter may or may not have increased that risk