A boxing match in Glasgow, Scotland turned into a tragic scene Thursday when Scottish boxer Mike Towell died after a serious injury.
The Guardian reports Towell, 25, fought Dale Evans in an eliminator at the Radisson Blu Hotel, and the fight had to be stopped in the fifth round when Towell looked too staggered to continue. He was taken to Queen Elizabeth hospital nearby around 11 p.m., and died Friday evening after he was taken off life support 12 hours later.
The fight was televised on ITV in the UK.
Towell is survived by his girlfriend and son. His girlfriend Chloe Ross wrote a lengthy Facebook message on Friday that Towell had complained about pain in his headâcaused brain injuries that resulted in swelling and bleedingâseveral days leading up to the fight. She also stated the fight and Towell's subsequent hospitalization on life support was "the longest 24 hours of our lives." Read her entire FB post below:
"The ingredients were there for an entertaining fight and it was that, we are both punchers and so sadly for Mike he came out the wrong side," Evans said in a statement. "I never wanted to see my opponent being stretchered out of the ring. Who would ever want that sight? That was so hard for his family and my heart goes out to them."
Towell's trainer Shane McGuigan tweeted his condolences about his death Friday:
The British Boxing Board of Control had no comment on Towell's death at press time.
