This archive report was first published on 17 October 2019.
On October 12, 2019, American boxer Patrick Day suffered a devastating blow in the 10th round of his fight against Charles Conwell at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The 27-year-old junior middleweight was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he underwent emergency brain surgery.
Despite the best efforts of the medical team, Day remained in a coma for four days before passing away on October 16, 2019. His promoter, Lou DiBella, released a statement expressing his condolences and gratitude for the outpouring of support from fans and the boxing community.
"Patrick Day passed away today, succumbing to the traumatic brain injury he suffered in his fight this past Saturday, October 12, at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL," DiBella said. "He was surrounded by his family, close friends and members of his boxing team, including his mentor, friend and trainer Joe Higgins."
Day's death is the latest in a series of tragic incidents in the boxing world, following the deaths of 23-year-old Argentine super lightweight Hugo Santillan in July and 28-year-old Russian Maxim Dadashev in August.
"It becomes very difficult to explain away or justify the dangers of boxing at a time like this," DiBella said. "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."
Day was a highly decorated amateur boxer who turned pro in 2013 and became a world-rated super welterweight contender. He captured the WBC Continental Americas championship in 2017 and the IBF Intercontinental championship in 2019.
