25-year-old boxer dies the day after leaving fight on a stretcher

Published Nov. 15, 2016 3:49 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Barry Werner

Mike Towell, a 25-year-old Scottish boxer, died Friday  in a hospital after being removed from life support. The fighter was injured in a match Thursday against Dale Evans at a hotel in Glasgow.

Towell had come into the bout with a record of 11-0-1.

Towell was knocked down in the first and fifth rounds of the bout. He was taken from the ring in a stretcher to the hospital with severe bleeding on the brain.

Towell's partner, Chloe Ross, said he "fought right to the end."

Per a Facebook post from Ross:

"I'm absolutely heartbroken to say my annoying best friend passed away tonight at 11.02 very peacefully," she wrote.

"Michael had severe bleeding and swelling to his brain.

"He had been complaining of headaches for the last few weeks but we put it down to migraines with the stress of his fight.

"It has been the longest 24 hours of our lives. My baby has lost his daddy. But he will be so so proud of his dad in what he achieved."

Ms Ross added: "Once he was taken off of his life support he managed 12 hours, 12 whole rounds off his life support, he fought right to the end and he's done us all so proud... He left doing the thing he's best at... there's only one."

The St. Andrew's Sporting Club released a statement:

Greg Menzies, head coach at Dundee Boxing Club, told The Guardian Towell would be sadly missed.

“A lot of guys in our gym are gutted, as even though he was maybe from another club, he was still a Dundee guy and he trained at every gym and he got on with everybody. He was one of Dundee’s top boxers so he was an inspiration for the young kids. We’re all gutted.” Speaking of Towell’s boxing style, he added: “He always gave 100%, he was always coming forward, there was no going back with him. He was a wee tough nut, he was just all heart.”

share