A British welterweight title contender has died in hospital from injuries from a fifth round knock out.
Unbeaten Dundee fighter Mike Towell was knocked out by his opponent Dale Evans in a welterweight title eliminator on Thursday night.
'Iron Mike' was stretchered out of the ring and rushed to hospital immediately after the fight at St Andrews Sporting Club in Glasgow.
The 25-year-old, who is a young father, was put on a life support machine but his management team confirm in the early hours of Saturday morning that Towell had died.
The
Dundee Courier report that Towell, who had 11 wins and a draw on his professional record going into the fight, was knocked down in the first round by his opponent - but managed to carry on fighting.
He was knocked down again in the fifth round by a left hook from his Welsh opponent but got back to his feet. The fight was called by the referee Victor Loughlin, who officiated the Chris Eubank Jr vs Nick Blackwell fight which left the former champion in a coma.
But Towell was put on oxygen and carried from the ring before being taken to hospital.
It is understood he suffered severe brain injuries - including a severe bleed and swelling on the brain - and never regained consciousness.
https://twitter.com/sportviewlondon/status/782120544665731072
Tributes have poured in from his family, his fans and figures across the boxing world.
“Today once he was taken off his life support he managed 12 hours – 12 whole rounds off his life support,” Chloe Ross, the mother of Towell's young son, told the Dundee Courier.
“He fought right to the end and he’s done us all so proud and I’m so glad I got to spend eight and a half years with the absolute plonker and still have the best thing that ever happened to us, Rocco – a part of him with me forever.”
https://twitter.com/McGuigans_Gym/status/782016230425239552
https://twitter.com/EddieHearn/status/782009257487110145
https://twitter.com/MartinMurrayBox/status/782106594163232768
https://twitter.com/bjsaunders_/status/782106513569710080
https://twitter.com/frankiegavin1/status/782105911095615492
https://twitter.com/HitmanHatton/status/782103561840787456
Will it be Mayo (or the Dubs) 4 Sam? Wooly, Paul Galvin and Conán Doherty preview Saturday’s All-Ireland final replay.
