Boxer Patrick Day dies from brain injuries at age 27 after getting knocked out in match with Charles Conwell
Boxer Patrick Day has passed away after suffering brain injuries on Wednesday, October 16, his promoter has confirmed. The 27-year-old was being treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after he sustained injuries in two rounds in a match with unbeaten Charles Conwell, a 2016 US Olympian.
Conwell landed two rights and a left hook on him that knocked him out and slammed him backward on the canvas, the back of his head hitting it hard. Celestino Ruiz, the referee stopped the match immediately without the count and he was taken to the hospital.
His promoter Lou DiBella said, "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," according to an official statement.
"He was a son, brother, and good friend to many. Pat's kindness, positivity, and generosity of spirit made a lasting impression with everyone he met," DiBella added.
He was on life support and he was taken off the machines surrounded by friends and family on Wednesday morning. After the fight and just two days before his death, Conwell also penned an emotional statement saying he never meant for things to go down the way they did.
"I never meant for this to happen to you," Conwell wrote. "All I ever wanted to do was win. If I could take it all back I would. 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."
"I can't stop thinking about it myself. I prayed for you so many times and shedded so many tears because I couldn't even imagine how my family and friends would feel. I see you everywhere I go and all I hear is wonderful things about you," he shared.
DiBella added that it is "difficult to explain away or justify the dangers of boxing" but added, "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 honor 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. Rest in peace and power, Pat, with the angels," DiBella added.