Boxer Patrick Day has died aged 27 - four days after suffering a brain injury in a fight against Charles Conwell. The American was put into a coma on Saturday after he was knocked out in the 10th round of his super welterweight bout in Chicago. Promoter Lou DiBella confirmed Day had died on Wednesday "surrounded by his family, close friends and members of his boxing team". "He was a son, brother, and good friend to many," said a statement. "Pat's kindness, positivity, and generosity of spirit made a lasting impression with everyone he met." Day was taken from the ring on a stretcher after the conclusion of the fight on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk's heavyweight victory over Chazz Witherspoon in the US. "Patrick Day didn't need to box," the statement from DiBella Entertainment continued. "He came from a good family, he was smart, educated, had good values and had other avenues available to him to earn a living. "He chose to box, knowing the inherent risks that every fighter faces when he or she walks into a boxing ring. Boxing is what Pat loved to do. It's how he inspired people and it was something that made him feel alive." Fellow American Conwell, 21, wrote an emotional letter to Day following the fight. "I never meant this to happen to you, all I wanted to do was win," he said. "If I could take it all back, I would. No-one deserves this to happen to them." Day won 17 of his 22 fights, with four defeats and one draw. In July, Russia's Maxim Dadashev and Argentina's Hugo Santillan both died following injuries sustained during fights. "It becomes very difficult to explain away or justify the dangers of boxing at a time like this," the statement continued. "This is not a time where edicts or pronouncements are appropriate, or the answers are readily available. It is, however, a time for a call to action. "While we don't have the answers, we certainly know many of the questions, have the means to answer them, and have the opportunity to respond responsibly and accordingly and make boxing safer for all who participate. "This is a way we can honour the legacy of Pat Day. Many people live much longer than Patrick's 27 years, wondering if they made a difference or positively affected their world. This was not the case for Patrick Day when he left us." RIP Yung Gun
Very sad but always a possibility in the Sport ... condolences to his family and thoughts also with Charles Conwell who will be devastated
Gutted at this news, I watched this fight on Sunday morning as well. As a boxing fan I’ve always had respect for those who get into the ring, but whilst safety in the sport has improved dramatically over the years, it still remains a very dangerous occupation, and events like this are devastating.
How do you improve safety in a sport where the whole point is 2 guys trying to knocked each others head off?
They’ve improved safety in recent years by having Dr’s in the corners who check the fighters between rounds, there’s now ambulances and paramedics on site and on standby, together with defibs etc. It’s never going to alter the basics of the sport, but it’s helped boxers in the crucial period after an incident or when they’ve been withdrawn on medical advice during a fight.
Just shoot them all in the face just to be safe, then go home and **** at ya phat stack of fiddys and all the naked 10’s queuing for your pork sword round the block. Edgy Az Fuk G
I read something a while ago about headgear actually making things worse, as it allows you to hang in there and receive a more sustained beating. Individual knockout punches are rarely the issue and it's more about getting hit a bunch of times, apparently.
They have a similar problem in the NFL with the helmets/pads. By wearing them makes you feel almost invincible so people tackle harder than they would in say rugby. NFL has a huge issue with concussions/long term brain injuries for former and current players, they've made some rule adjustments but is hard to get the balance right between that and completely ruining the sport.
