Boxing

In Memoriam (Part 1) Tiny sketches of those we lost in boxing in 2025

Published

7 months ago

January 6, 2026

In Memoriam (Part 1) Brief Sketches of Those We Lost in Boxing in 2025

Eric Bottjer

KENNY ADAMS, 84, famed trainer, died of cancer in April at a hospice in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas. Adams was an old-fashioned drill instructor masquerading as a coach who (most of the time) maximized the talents of his players (though he wasn’t opposed to outside aid – he was one of the first coaches to extol the benefits of strength training). His players weren’t surprised to learn that Adams was a Vietnam veteran. Adams retired as a sergeant major after 30 years of service and was hired by USA Boxing in the 1980s as an assistant on the 1984 team and then head coach of the 1988 team (Adams boxed as an amateur in the Army and was a two-time all-around champion). The Missouri native settled in Las Vegas and worked with Eddie Cook and Kennedy McKinney, both of whom won world titles. His greatness was made the night he made Vince Phillips quarrel over Prime Minister Kostya Tszyu in 1997. Adams, known primarily as a disciplinarian, was underrated as a strategist. He was a self-taught amateur boxer and trainer – he never took formal lessons. Adams was proud of the fact that his players never lost a rematch (“nobody ever beat me twice,” he liked to say).

ELEAZAR AGUILERA, 36, Venezuelan cruiserweight, died in October as a result of injuries suffered on April 5 in a match against Rosmen Brito in Colombia. Aguilera was stopped in the eighth round and fell into a coma that night. He never regained consciousness and died six months after the fight, finishing with a record of 8-1 (8 KOs).

ERNEST AKUSHEY, 32, a cruiserweight from Ghana, died in September, 11 days after being stopped in eight rounds by Jacob Dickson. Akushey entered the fight with a 6-1 record (Dickson was 13-2), losing the match after being forfeited, knocked down and stopped in the eighth round. Ghanaian authorities suspended professional boxing in the country following Akushey’s death, noting that it was the second death of a boxer in Ghana in six months. After the fight, Akushey was hospitalized, but doctors told reporters that Akushey was being treated for malaria. Ten days later, Akushey took a terrible turn and a few hours later he died of a stroke. His manager cryptically told writers that Akushey was being treated for “a few other issues” when he died.

MICHAEL ALEXANDER (52), a heavyweight fighter from Ohio, died “unexpectedly” in November in Ohio. In the years 2003-2009, Alexander had a record of 12-4 (8 KO).

RAHAMAN ALI (82), Muhammad Ali’s brother and former heavyweight professional, died “peacefully” in August at a Louisville hospital after a two-week illness. Rahman, 18 months younger than Muhammad, fought for eight years as a professional, compiling a record of 14-3-1 (7 KOs), before retiring after losing on the Ali-Frazier 1 card in 1971. Rahman’s personal and professional life was associated with his more eminent brother. He traveled with Ali’s entourage throughout the 1970s, serving only as a family member and sometimes as a bodyguard. Rahman said his life as a brother supporter was “heaven on earth.”

BILLY ALLEN, 89, Fresh York State welterweight, died in June. Billy went 4-0 as a professional from 1958-1959 before retiring and earning a degree in sociology from Syracuse University.

CLIFF ALLEN, 82, California heavyweight, died in January at his home in Rapid City, South Dakota. Allen learned to box in the army and had a miniature professional career, going 3-1 from 1969 to 1970, before he married, moved from Southern California to Nebraska and began a career in the meatpacking industry.

NORM ALLEN, 40, Toledo “opponent,” was shot to death outside a Toledo gas station in May. Allen was 0-6-1 in 2008-2009. He left behind six children.

ANTONIO AMAYA, 79, Panamanian jr. lightweight fighter, died in January. Amaya was 48-22-7 (10 KOs) from 1963-1978. Amaya lost three title fights (his 1969 decision loss to WBC champion Hiroshi Kobayashi in Japan was a terrible blow) in a career that included defeats against Sugar Ramos and Rene Barrientos.

MICHAEL ANCONA, 88, Ohio judge, died in November on his 88th birthday^vol birthday. Ancona was a professional referee from 1991-2018 and paid his dues for years before eventually fighting title fights that included Wladimir Klitschko-Mariusz Wach, Claressa Shields-Hanna Gabriels and Steve Cunningham-Kelvin Davis. Ancona was born in Queens and served in the Air Force, settling in Columbus, Ohio, where he helped build airplanes. Ancona, a boxing fan, managed fighters in the Ohio area and eventually became a professional referee.

JOHN APPEL, 80, Indianapolis promoter, died in July. Appel, an insurance salesman, was a board member of the Indianapolis Golden Gloves for years and promoted four professional events in the mid-1970s.

JOEY ARCHER, 87, a top middleweight of the 1960s, died in April at a Rensselaer, Fresh York, assisted living facility. He moved there in 2021 after his wife died. The couple ran an antiques shop in nearby Valatie for 20 years. Archer, a light-hitting, classy boxer, retired 44-year-old Sugar Ray Robinson in 1965. Archer never won another match, losing twice to Emile Griffith in two world title challenges (the first fight was decided by majority vote), before retiring in 1967 at the age of 28. Archer defeated Dick Tiger, Holly Mims and Hurricane Carter in a career that never stopped. In retirement, he operated various bars before opening his old-fashioned shop on Main Street in Valatie. Only those close to Archer knew about his boxing career, a period of his life that Archer never bragged about.

LAURIE AUSTIN, 68, Australian welterweight, died in February in Melbourne. Austin was 34-12-2 (12 KOs) from 1971-1986. He held the Australian welterweight title and was rated No. 5 by The Ring magazine in 1977 and 1978. Austin, known as “Baby Cassius, was born and raised in the Aboriginal community before moving to Melbourne to pursue a boxing career. Austin knocked out Hector Thompson in the 15th minute.^vol round of the match in 1977 to win his national title at 140 pounds. He lost the title a year later to Jeff Malcolm, but continued boxing for another decade, defeating the winner of his last two fights. Austin was known for his speed and was never stopped or knocked down in his 48 professional fights.

ANTONIO AVELAR (66), former WBC flyweight world champion, died in April. Avelar had a record of 39-13-1 (32 KOs) from 19785 to 1987, including a 1981 title win over Shoji Oguma with a seventh-round stoppage in May 1981. Avelar lost the title 10 months later after one successful defense (that defense, a two-round fight against Tae Shik Kim, is worth watching). Avelar was a wide-swinging striker with quality wins over Gilberto Roman and Wilfredo Vasquez. No cause of death was given.

JIM BAILEY, 92, Connecticut lightweight, died in July. Bailey was 2-2 (1 KO), with a defeat in his debut in 1946 and three fights in 1950. Bailey served two years in the Army in the 1950s before settling in Fresh Jersey and going to work for an office supplies company.

LAWSON BAKER, 55, California heavyweight, died of cancer in September. San Diego’s Baker scored 5-6-1)2 KO) from 2006-2009. Baker, a jack of all trades (he went to work in a hospital as a respiratory therapist after graduating from college), also competed in professional kickboxing matches. Baker worked as a camp counselor as well as a Sunday school teacher.

LYNN BALL, 73, the Dallas heavyweight who ended Ron Lyle’s career, died in September. Ball, a former Grambling State University football player, was on a two-game losing streak when he was brought back to Lyle in 1979. Ball crashed out of the game, stopping Lyle in two rounds, and caught the attention of the American heavyweights. His one chance at a world ranking collapsed in less than three minutes when Michael Dokes stopped him in one round in 1981 while fighting for the vacant NABF title. Ball lost a decision to Geroge Chaplin two months later and retired (17-7, 12 KO), becoming a preacher.

JOSEPH BARGEMAN, 24, an amateur from Louisiana, was shot and killed in April in Lafayette. The suspect was arrested five days later. Bargeman fought in national tournaments from 2015 to 2018, but never turned professional.

FELIX BAUMGARTNER, 56, an Austrian extreme sports star who had one professional fight, died in April in Italy when he crashed his powered paraglider. The cause of the accident was straightforward human error – Baumgartner was sober and his equipment was working properly. Baumgartner gained fame as a parachutist and base jumper, setting parachute records for altitude and descent speed. Baumgartner had his only fight in Austria in 1992, at the age of 24. He fought his opponent 0-13 and won in the first round.

Boxing

David Price Analyzes Conor Benns Chances Against Ryan Garcia for World Championship Glory

Published

19 hours ago

August 14, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

David Price Analyzes Conor Benn's Chances Against Ryan Garcia for World Championship Glory

Former British champion and Olympic bronze medallist David Price has assessed whether his countryman, Conor Bennpossesses the necessary hand speed to defeat Ryan Garcia.

The two welterweights will square off at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on September 12, with Garcia making a first defence of his WBC world title.

It was arguably a career-best performance that saw him dethrone Mario Barrios in February, scoring a first-round knockdown before winning a wide unanimous decision.

But despite coming off this dominant display, Garcia was far less impressive when he returned from a year-long doping ban and lost on points to Rolando Romero in May 2025.

Still, many would argue that the 28-year-old has shown signs of world-class quality, while Benn remains glaringly unproven at the top level.

The 29-year-old has also not fought at 147lbs since 2022, with his last two outings resulting in unanimous decision victories over faded versions of Chris Eubank Jr and Regis Prograis.

Against Eubank, in particular, Benn’s speed seemed a key factor in their two middleweight encounters last year, despite him suffering a points defeat the first time around.

As he approaches this welterweight contest against Garcia, though, former heavyweight contender Price has told The Smith Brothers that he sees Benn contending with an unfamiliar disadvantage.

“I think I [favour Garcia]. Conor Benn’s got great hand speed, but I think [Garcia’s] hand speed could make the difference in the fight.”

Like Garcia, Benn tested positive for a banned substance – clomifene – and was eventually removed from his cancelled 2022 encounter with Eubank.

Boxing

World Champion Risks Title Stripping by Avoiding David Benavidez Showdown

Published

20 hours ago

August 14, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"World Champion Risks Title Stripping by Avoiding David Benavidez Showdown"

David Benavidez has the full support of WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman as he looks to further establish himself in the cruiserweight division.

The 29-year-old made his 200lb debut in May, becoming a three-division world champion by dethroning Gilberto Ramirez with an emphatic sixth-round stoppage.

In doing so, Benavidez claimed the WBO and WBA titles while also retaining his WBC light-heavyweight strap, so as to afford himself the option of moving back down to 175lbs.

Since then, though, it would seem that the American has decided to remain at cruiserweight, having successfully lobbied the WBC to position him as its mandatory challenger.

WBC champion Noel Mikaelian, meanwhile, was already rumoured to be facing Jai Opetaia, who became Zuffa Boxing’s cruiserweight titlist by unanimously outpointing Brandon Glanton earlier this year.

But while their contest has now been announced for September 12featuring on the undercard of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, Mikaelian could soon be forced to relinquish his world title.

This is because, according to BoxingSceneSulaiman has threatened to strip the 35-year-old of his belt unless he and promoter Don King agree to a fight with Benavidez.

From an outside perspective, it seems the Benavidez showdown is becoming increasingly unlikely, given that Mikaelian has reportedly signed to face Opetaia, a former IBF champion, and is attempting to distance himself from the notorious King.

Benavidez, however, is set to secure his three-belt unification match regardless, potentially with WBC ‘interim’ champion Michal Cieslak standing in the opposite corner.

The Polish veteran claimed his secondary title against Jean Pascal, who he stopped in four rounds, but has not fought since their cruiserweight contest in June 2025.

Boxing

Prichard Colón Passes Away at 33 After Brave 11-Year Battle

Published

2 days ago

August 13, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Prichard Colón Passes Away at 33 After Brave 11-Year Battle

Prichard Colón, the former undefeated boxing prospect who became a symbol of hope during an extraordinary fight for life lasting almost eleven years, has died at the age of 33.

Colón’s family confirmed the devastating news on Thursday, bringing an end to a battle that began after the Puerto Rican suffered catastrophic brain injuries following his final professional fight in October 2015.

For World Boxing News, Prichard was never simply another boxer whose tragedy we reported. He was our friend.

Prichard was one of the longer-term friendships WBN struck up with a boxer during the early years of the website, beginning before he had even made his professional debut, and it was Prichard himself who started it.

A Friendship Before His First Fight

On February 13, 2013, ten days before making his professional debut, an unexpected message arrived from the 20-year-old Puerto Rican.

“Hi Phil D. Jay, My name is Prichard Colon im an ex-member of the Puerto Rican Boxing Olympic Team, where i represented my country around the world,” Prichard wrote.

He explained that he was about to turn professional on a Miguel Cotto and Golden Boy Promotions card before making a simple request.

“I was wondering if you could help me with a interview.”

Of course, the answer was yes, and what began as a young boxer trying to get some coverage became a friendship that continued as Prichard’s career took off.

When he moved to 2-0 with two knockouts in March 2013, Prichard was straight back in touch.

“Hey champ, hope your doing well.. Just to let you know i got that W last saturday in the second round 2-0 (2ko),” he wrote.

Over the next two years, there were messages about opponents, fights and possible sponsorship. Prichard sent his Fight Mode videos for WBN to publish, shared photographs and made sure we knew whenever something was happening in his career.

But it wasn’t always about boxing, as there were Christmas and New Year messages and conversations that simply began with Prichard asking how things were going.

He was a fun-loving, outgoing young man chasing one overriding ambition: Prichard wanted to become a world champion.

The Night Everything Changed

By October 2015, Colón had built a 16-0 professional record with 13 knockouts when he faced Terrel Williams at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia.

The fight became engulfed in controversy over punches to the back of Colón’s head. He complained during the contest, with Williams penalized a point, before Colón was eventually disqualified after his corner mistakenly removed his gloves before the final round.

Nobody knew then how insignificant the result would become.

Colón suffered dizziness and vomiting after returning to his dressing room before being taken to hospital. Doctors discovered bleeding on his brain and performed emergency surgery.

WBN reported that nightfollowing confirmation from his brother Ricardo, that Prichard was in a coma and fighting for his life. He remained in a coma for 221 days.

The boxer we had been communicating with about fights, opponents and his ambitions was suddenly fighting something infinitely bigger than anything he could ever have encountered inside a ring, and that fight would last almost eleven years.

My Final Messages to Prichard

Looking back through my conversations with Prichard now brings home just how abruptly everything changed.

On July 8, 2015, just over three months before his final fight, Prichard checked in as he had done many times before.

“Hey Phil hows everything going.?”

I replied the following morning and asked how he was doing.

“Thats good to hear Phil, i’m doing well training hard for my next fight in August,” Prichard responded.

I didn’t know it then, but they would be the final words Prichard ever sent me.

Three months later, after learning what had happened following the Williams fight, I went back to the same conversation we had been using since before his professional debut.

On October 18, 2015, I wrote: “Thoughts are with you my friend….”

There was no response, and four days later, I tried again.

“Thinking of you and updating everytime I can. Hope to hear from you after your recovery Prichard.”

For almost eleven years, that message remained at the bottom of our conversation, but the reply never came.

Prichard Became a Symbol of Hope

Prichard’s family refused to give up on him, with his mother, Nieves, dedicating her life to caring for her son, sharing his therapy, his progress and the small victories that became enormous moments for those who followed his recovery.

The boxing community followed with her.

Prichard became far more than a former prospect whose career had been taken away. He became a symbol of hope to thousands of people who watched him continue fighting against circumstances few could comprehend.

The WBC eventually named Prichard an honorary champion and presented him with the world championship belt he had dreamed of winning inside the ring, recognition of a different kind of fighter.

WBN continued covering Prichard throughout those years, from his rehabilitation and medical procedures to the support his family received and the constant attempts to ensure his story never disappeared.

In 2025, WBN even approached Virginia authorities in an attempt to have the only defeat on Prichard’s professional record changed to a no-contest, but the request was denied.

His official record remained 16-1 with 13 knockouts, but it never told anything close to the full story.

Prichard Colón Cannot Become Another Statistic

Prichard was a shining light to many, and feelings ran incredibly deep within the boxing community over how that devastating night unfolded.

His death shouldn’t become a catalyst for that hatred to be prolonged. The focus now should be on him.

Prichard was a fun-loving, outgoing man who wanted nothing more than to become a world champion boxer.

His tragic circumstances were sadly nothing new in this sport, but writing about Prichard over the years and doing our small part to keep his story alive was a privilege that was never taken lightly.

Abruptly no longer being able to communicate with someone who had become a friend was tough to take, but unfortunately, it’s something boxing writers can be forced to deal with during their careers.

The sport is dangerous and unforgiving, but Prichard Colón cannot become just another statistic.

WBN’s Tribute to Prichard

As our own small tribute, WBN will add Prichard permanently to our Boxers page, an area predominantly reserved for today’s biggest boxing stars and the Hall of Fame legends of the past.

Prichard belongs there, and it’s our own small way of ensuring that the young fighter who contacted WBN before he had even thrown a professional punch remains part of this website long after his fight for life has ended.

Prichard survived the catastrophic injuries he suffered that night in 2015 and battled on for almost eleven more yearswhich perhaps tells us more about the fighter Prichard Colón was than his 16 victories and 13 knockouts ever could.

He never got the opportunity to become the world champion he dreamed of being when that first message arrived in 2013, but he fought like a champion for almost eleven years afterward.

Prichard Colón will never be just another statistic here. He was our friend, and Digget will not be forgotten.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.