US boxer Day dies from brain injuries; promoter calls for action
American boxer Patrick Day died yesterday after suffering a serious brain injury during his knockout defeat by Charles Conwell last weekend, promoter Lou DiBella said in a statement.
The 27-year-old super welterweight had undergone emergency surgery after being knocked out by Conwell on Saturday at Chicago's Wintrust Arena.
"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," DiBella said.
Day, who had been in a coma following surgery at Northwestern Memorial hospital, died surrounded by family and friends.
The American fighter had been carried unconscious from the ring on a stretcher following his 10th-round knockout.
Conwell, a 2016 American Olympian, dropped Day in the fourth and eighth rounds, and then landed a right hand in the 10th which caused Day to stumble. Seconds later, Conwell rocked Day with a massive left hook that resulted in Day falling backwards and his head bouncing off the canvas.
Referee Celestino Ruiz called off the fight at one minute 46 seconds of the round.
Day is at least the third boxer to die from injuries suffered in the ring this year.
Argentinian boxer Hugo Santillan died in July following a bout in San Nicolas, just north of Buenos Aires.
Santillan's death came just two days after Russian fighter Maxim Dadashev died from brain injuries suffered in a fight in Maryland.
HIGHLY RATED
Before turning professional in 2013, Day was a highly decorated amateur who won two national titles.
He went on to become a world-rated super welterweight contender, capturing the World Boxing Council (WBC) Continental Americas Championship in 2017 and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Intercontinental Championship this year.
In June, he was rated in the top 10 by both the WBC and IBF.
In his statement yesterday, DiBella said he hoped Day's death would prompt US authorities to adopt tougher safety standards.
"It becomes very difficult to explain or justify the dangers of boxing at a time like this," DiBella said.
"This is not a time where edicts or pronouncements are appropriate, nor 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, have the opportunity to respond responsibly and accordingly, and make boxing safer for all who participate." - AFP, REUTERS
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now