Jon Durr-USA TODAY Sports
Junior middleweight boxer Patrick Day is fighting for his life after his KO loss to Charles Conwell this past weekend.
Patrick Day is fighting for his life after suffering a serious brain injury following his fight against Charles Conwell this past weekend in New York.
Day, 27, lost to Conwell by tenth-round stoppage in their DAZN streamed fight on Saturday’s Oleksanar Usyk vs. Chazz Witherspoon undercard. In the bout, Day was knocked out by a big overhand followed by a left hook from Conwell that left the fighter unconscious before even hitting the canvas.
Never regaining consciousness after being knocked out, The New York Daily News reported the junior middleweight underwent emergency brain surgery after suffering multiple seizures on the way to the hospital. Day currently remains in a medically induced coma, in what promoter Lou DiBella termed as “extremely critical condition.”
Conwell posted the following message on Instagram, saying this will be the last time he discusses the situation with Day due to the sensitivity of the topic.
I never meant for this to happen to you. All I ever wanted to do was win. If I could take it all back I would no one deserves for this to happen to them. I replay the fight over and over in my head thinking what if this never happened and why did it happen to you. I can’t stop thinking about it myself I prayed for you so many times and shedded so many tears because I couldn’t even imagine how my family and friends would feel. I see you everywhere I go and all I hear is wonderful things about you. I thought about quitting boxing but I know that’s not what you would want I know that you were a fighter at heart so I decided not to but to fight and win a world title because that’s what you wanted and thats what I want so I’ll use you as motivation every day and make sure I always leave it all in the ring every time. #ChampPatrickDay With Compassion, Charles Conwell
Day (17-4-1, 6 KOs) was a US Olympic team alternate in 2012 before turning professional in 2013. His only other stoppage defeat was a first-round TKO in 2015.
This concerning KO comes just months after junior welterweight contender Maxim Dadashev died from brain injuries sustained in his 11th-round TKO defeat to Subriel Matias.