Afia Ohemeng
Boxer, Patrick Day has died aged 27 – four days after he suffered a brain injury in a fight against fellow boxer Charles Conwell.
The boxer was put into a coma on Saturday after he was knocked out again in the 10th round of his super welterweight bout in Chicago but died on Wednesday from brain injuries sustained during the violent knockout loss on Saturday, his team announced.
Day was knocked down 3 times. Once in the 4th, a second time in the 8th and finally in the 10th round by the 21-year-old rising star Charles Conwell.
The final knockdown was particularly savage as Day’s head bounced off the canvas and the referee had to immediately stop the fight.
Medical personnel rushed into the ring and Day was taken out of the ring on a stretcher. He was later loaded into an ambulance which transported him to a nearby hospital.
Day suffered a seizure after the fight and then fell into a coma. He later underwent emergency brain surgery. Day fought for his life for days but unfortunately succumbed to “the traumatic brain injury” he suffered during the fight and was pronounced dead on Wednesday. His close friends, family and members of his boxing team were by his side.
He is described as smart, educated with a family well off enough to provide him with a comfortable life.
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, If I could take it all back, I would. No-one deserves this to happen to them.”
Day had a record of 17 wins, 1 draw and 4 defeats out of his 22 fights.
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“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.
Source: BBC, TMZ Sports
