Boxer Sherif Lawal died at age 29 after sustaining a head injury during his professional debut.
Lawal was knocked out while competing in his first major event at the Harrow Leisure Centre in London on Sunday, May 12. After suffering a blow to the temple, Lawal collapsed and subsequently passed away that same day.
The event’s promoter Warren Boxing Management released a statement about the incident on Monday, May 13, which read, “Last night, Sherif Lawal was making his debut at a show at Harrow Leisure Centre, in which our boxer Courtney Bennett was scheduled to fight. Unfortunately during Sherif’s fight, he collapsed and despite the best efforts of the paramedics, he was later pronounced dead.”
Warren Boxing Management offered their condolences to Lawal’s “family, friends, coaches and all those close” to him. “The thoughts of all those involved in Boxing in Great Britain are with them at this difficult time,” the statement concluded.
According to ESPN, Lawal took part in the first fight that night, which was against Portuguese opponent Malam Varela. Subsequent fights were canceled following Lawal’s fatal injury.
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The British Boxing Board of Control released a statement on Monday as well after Lawal’s death made headlines. “The thoughts of all those involved in Boxing in Great Britain are with them at this difficult time,” the board’s statement said, according to NBC News.
Lawal’s death isn’t the first time a boxer has sustained fatal injuries in the ring. In 2019, boxer Patrick Day died after he got hurt during a match in Chicago. Two years later, Jeanette Zacarias Zapata sustained injuries to her brain while fighting Canada’s Marie-Pier Houle. Zapata was placed in a medically induced coma before she passed away at age 18.
“It is with great sadness and torment that we have learned, from a representative of her family, that Jeannette Zacarias Zapata passed away this afternoon at 3:45 p.m.,” event promoter Groupe Yvon Michel confirmed in a statement at the time.
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