Shaun Cummins survived a motorcycle crash that should have resulted in his death. The real horror came many years later.

In the early 1990s, Cummins – known as “The Guv’nor” – was a respected name in the British boxing community.

He won the WBA Inter-Continental title, fought for European honors, and shared the ring with solid operators at a time when domestic boxing was full of tough fighters and tough fights.

Then boxing disappeared from his life almost as quickly as it appeared.

Forced to take early retirement

Cummins retired after failing a brain scan in the mid-1990s at the age of 27 and never actually returned to the sport again, although he later tried to gain permission to fight in Ireland.

Like many former players, life after sports became messy and hard.

He worked in security, got involved in bodybuilding and changed jobs before everything changed in 2004, when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the chest down.

As a result of the accident, he almost died on the spot. Instead, Cummins survived despite the infection and, living in Leicester, spent the following years relying heavily on carers and medical support.

Over the years, Cummins continued to maintain a Facebook page, YouTube channel and Boxing Greats website, and posted regular updates online.

His last Facebook post was on May 1, 2012, just a few months before his death.

This is where the story took a obscure turn that few boxing fans expected.

Survival in the event of an accident and 24/7 care

By 2012, Cummins was largely forgotten by the sport. One of the people helping him with household chores was Thomas Dunkley, later described in court as his “informal guardian”.

When Cummins suddenly disappeared in September of the same year, police finally searched his bungalow and uncovered one of the most disturbing stories ever associated with British boxing.

His body was cut into pieces and hidden in freezers on the property.

Dunkley denied murder and claimed Cummins died naturally in his sleep before he panicked. The jury didn’t believe him.

During the trial, the court heard Dunkley bought a chainsaw and other equipment using Cummins’ bank cards before dismembering the former boxer’s body and placing the remains in multiple freezers in the house.

The court also heard that Dunkley used credit cards, bank accounts and money from Cummins’ trust fund after his death in an attempt to cover up the crime.

The murderer is convicted

He was later convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 34 years.

The details horrified Britain at the time.

However, many years later, the story seems almost forgotten, despite how shocking it was.

Cummins had already escaped death on the road only in the last years of his life, which ended in paralysis, isolation, dependence, financial exploitation and, ultimately, betrayal in his own home.

Older boxing fans will remember Shaun Cummins as a tough fighter from the elderly school era in the UK. For others, it may be the first time they hear his name in their lives.

Either way, his story remains one of the darkest and most tragic endings any boxer has experienced outside the ring.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

“The plan for AJ is to beat Prenga, beat Tyson Fury and fight for the world heavyweight title,” Eddie Hearn told IFL TV.

Prenga has quietly established a record that has featured constant multiple knockouts and has recently been linked to several heavyweight fights. Hearn admitted that Joshua cannot overlook him, even though most fans are already focusing on Fury.

“He’s been in a few heavyweight fights. I think he’s got 22 wins, 21 knockouts, something like that,” Hearn said. “Decent fighter. Not elite heavyweight, but marginal world level. Risky. Can punch.”

Joshua comes into the fight with more pressure than Prenga. Another indigent performance, even in victory, will raise novel doubts after his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois. Meanwhile, Prenga begins his fight with only minor losses and an opportunity that could completely change his career overnight.

The next question is what version of Joshua emerges under coach Ben Davison. The aggressive striker seen taking on Francis Ngannou and Jake Paul looked very different from the hesitant fighter Dubois stopped.

Hearn expects Joshua to stop Prenga before the fight with Fury gets underway later this year.

“I think he will be inspired by an stimulating fight in the first six rounds,” Hearn said. “And when he does, I will be the most relieved because you have a fight with Tyson Fury and it will be in November.”

Hearn also said that Fury vs. Joshua is effectively agreed upon, although both heavyweights still need to win their next fights first.

“Yes, everything is fine, everything is ready,” Hearn said of Fury-Joshua. “We just have to win.”

The fight is expected to take place in the UK, with Wembley Stadium and Cardiff being discussed as possible venues for the heavyweight showdown.

Joshua has not fought since knocking out Jake Paul in the sixth round in Miami, Florida, on December 19, 2025, while Fury remains inactive following his second loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

If both heavyweights go through with their scheduled return fights, their long-delayed fight will still rank among boxing’s biggest events.

Vasily Lomachenko looks set to make a stunning return to boxing.

Lomachenko had a spectacular amateur career, finishing with a record of 396-1 while being a two-time Olympic gold medalist, before breaking into the professional ranks and competing for world titles in just his second fight.

While he may have fallen low in this fight, he made up for it in his third fight, winning the WBO featherweight title before also becoming the WBO super featherweight champion and unified lightweight world champion.

The Ukrainian was praised for fighting above his natural weight and winning over the likes of Jorge Linares and Jose Pedraza, but was defeated twice at 135 pounds, first defeat to Teofimo Lopez in October 2020 before his controversial loss to Devin Haney in May 2023.

Lomachenko did bounce back with a win over George Kambosos in May 2024 to become the IBF lightweight champion, and it seemed like it would be his last time in the ring when he officially announced his retirement in June 2025 after months of speculation.

However, everything may change soon Mike Coppinger reported this that he intends to retire and return this year “only for the massive fights.”

“Vasily Lomachenko is coming out of retirement and his goal is to return this fall, sources tell Ring Magazine. Lomachenko’s contract with Top Rank expires today and he is now a promotional free agent. I’m told he only wants massive fights, without any improvements.”

It is known that Lomachenko talked to Gervonta Davis before his retirement, but this fight never took place, and one of the reasons for the impossibility was the Ukrainian’s persistent back injury.

With the back injury now seemingly in the past, it could pave the way for a rematch with Davis, though there are plenty of other intriguing options – including Shakur Stevenson, who has always called for a fight – for the former pound-for-pound superstar.