Patrick Day Boxer dies four days after being knocked out

Boxer Patrick Day died Wednesday, four days after he was knocked out during his bout with Charles Conwell on Saturday night in Chicago.

Four days after being knocked unconscious in a super welterweight title fight, Patrick Day, a former New York Golden Gloves champion and Long Island native, died on Wednesday. He was 27.

Day had been in a coma since Saturday night, when he fell to the canvas and hit his head after his opponent, Charles Conwell, a 2016 Olympian, landed several blows in the 10th and final round of their U.S.B.A. fight in Chicago.

On Wednesday, the renowned promoter Lou DiBella previously released a statement  announcing Day required emergency surgery following his loss to Charles Conwell due to a “traumatic brain injury” that left him in a coma and “extremely critical condition.”

Day was knocked down two times early in the fight before referee Celestino Ruiz finally stopped it after a third knockdown in the 10th round.

Day remained on the mat for several minutes before being taken out on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital, but he also suffered a seizure in the ambulance and fell into a coma after arriving at the hospital.

Canwell posted a letter addressed to Day on Instagram on Tuesday:

“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.”

His death was announced by Lou DiBella, the promoter for both Day and Conwell.

“Patrick Day passed away today, October 16, 2019, succumbing to the traumatic brain injury he suffered in his fight this past Saturday,” 

The statement added: “He was a dedicated college student, having earned an Associate’s degree in Food and Nutrition from Nassau Community College and, subsequently, a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Wellness from Kaplan University.

“He was a son, brother, and good friend to many. Pat’s kindness, positivity, and generosity of spirit made a lasting impression with everyone he met.

“Patrick Day didn’t need to box. He came from a good family, he was smart, educated, had good values and had other avenues available to him to earn a living. He chose to box, knowing the inherent risks that every fighter faces when he or she walks into a boxing ring. Boxing is what Pat loved to do. It’s how he inspired people and it was something that made him feel alive.

“Rest in peace and power, Pat, with the angels.”