Boxing
AMERICAN BOXER, PATRICK DAY DIES AFTER BEING KNOCKED OUT
An American boxer, Patrick Day has died four days after he was knocked out during his bout with Charles Conwell on Saturday night in Chicago.
According to the CNN, Day, 27, succumbed to a traumatic brain injury he suffered that night, according to a statement from his promoter, Lou DiBella of DiBella Entertainment.
“He was surrounded by his family, close friends and members of his boxing team, including his mentor, friend and trainer Joe Higgins,” DiBella said in a statement.
“On behalf of Patrick’s family, team, and those closest to him, we are grateful for the prayers, expressions of support and outpouring of love for Pat that have been so obvious since his injury.”
In a Twitter post addressed to Day on Tuesday, Conwell wrote he “never meant this to happen to you.”
“All I wanted to do was win. If I could take it all back, I would,” Conwell wrote.
“No one deserves this to happen to them. I replay the fight over and over in my head thinking what if this never happened and why did it happen to you.”
After Conwell, a 2016 Olympic boxer, knocked Day out in the 10th round, Day appeared to be down for several minutes as a medical team rushed in to assess his injuries.
Eventually he was taken out of the ring on a stretcher, and transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
DiBella said that Day didn’t need to box as he came from a good family, was educated and could have made a living in some other way.
“He chose to box, knowing the inherent risks that every fighter faces when he or she walks into a boxing ring,” DiBella said.
“Boxing is what Pat loved to do. It’s how he inspired people and it was something that made him feel alive.”
Conwell was in control of the fight in Wintrust Arena from the beginning, according to ESPN.
Before he became a professional fighter, Day was a highly decorated amateur. He won two Nationals titles, the New York Golden Gloves tournament and was an Olympic Team alternate, all in 2012.
He turned pro in 2013 and captured the WBC Continental Americas championship in 2017 and the IBF Intercontinental championship in 2019. In June 2019, he was rated in the top 10 by both the WBC and IBF.
As of Saturday, Day’s record stood at 17-4-1, with six knockouts.
Dibella said it is “very difficult to explain away or justify the dangers of boxing at a time like this.
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“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,” DiBella Entertainment said.
“This is a way we can honour the legacy of Pat Day.”
The Nigerian boxing landscape has been thrown into uncertainty following reports that the Nigerian Boxing Federation (NBF) is considering steps to regulate professional boxing—an area traditionally overseen by the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC).
Reacting swiftly, the NBBofC has dismissed the reports as misleading, warning that any such move could destabilise the established structure of the sport in the country.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Board reaffirmed its statutory authority as the sole body responsible for the regulation, control, and sanctioning of professional boxing in Nigeria.
“The attention of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control has been drawn to insinuations that another body intends to assume regulatory authority over professional boxing in Nigeria. We wish to categorically state that such claims are unfounded and should be disregarded,” the statement read.
The Board stressed that the NBF’s mandate is confined strictly to amateur boxing, in line with global sports governance frameworks, and does not extend to the professional ranks.
NBBofC President, Rafiu Ladipo, warned that any attempt by another organisation to assume control of professional boxing could trigger administrative conflicts, weaken regulatory standards, and expose athletes to unnecessary risks.
The Board also cautioned promoters, managers, and boxers against engaging with unauthorised bodies claiming regulatory powers.
“We advise all promoters, managers, and boxers to remain vigilant and not be misled by such insinuations. The NBBofC remains fully committed to its responsibility of regulating and sanctioning professional boxing in Nigeria in accordance with established rules and international best practices,” the statement added.
Observers within the boxing community note that clarity in regulatory authority is critical—not only for safeguarding athletes but also for ensuring fair competition and maintaining Nigeria’s credibility within the global boxing ecosystem.
For now, the NBBofC has reiterated its resolve to continue overseeing professional boxing in the country, even as stakeholders await further clarification on the reported position of the NBF.
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Oleksandr Usyk will put his WBC heavyweight title belt on the line against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza, Ring Magazine announced on Friday.
The Ukrainian three-times undisputed champion holds the IBF, WBA and WBC titles after vacating the WBO belt.
The 39-year-old has not boxed since beating Britain’s Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium last July.
“I respect his (Verhoeven’s) journey – he’s truly the ‘King of Kickboxing’. But this is boxing – a different game, with its own rules and its own kings,” said Usyk, who has a 24-0 record.
“I’m ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, and I know the fans are excited too. A big night is coming.”
The ‘Glory in Giza’ fight will be streamed live on DAZN.
“I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish,” Verhoeven, 36, told The Ring.
“But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away from the hunger; it strengthened it. Usyk is the undisputed champion in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed.”
Verhoeven has sparred in the past with former champion Tyson Fury and had one professional bout in 2014, which he won by a knockout.
-Reuters
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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will face off in a professional rematch at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, with the bout streaming globally on Netflix, the fighters and promoters announced on Monday.
The fight marks Mayweather’s return from retirement and will be the first professional boxing match held at the Sphere.
Mayweather, who holds a perfect 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, defeated Pacquiao in their 2015 encounter dubbed the “Fight of the Century.”
That bout generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a $72 million live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result,” Mayweather said in a statement.
Pacquiao, whose record stands at 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts, expressed confidence he would hand Mayweather his first professional loss.
“I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him,” the Filipino fighter said.
The rematch will stream to Netflix’s more than 325 million subscribers worldwide, continuing the platform’s push into live boxing.
The streaming platform has recently broadcast several high-profile fights, including Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, which the company said drew 108 million live global viewers
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