Super Welterweight Patrick Day Dies at Age 27 From Ring Injuries
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Chicago, IL (October 17th, 2019)– Super welterweight contender Patrick Day, age 27, a friend of Real Combat Media sportswriter Robert Brizel, and a two-time national amateur champion, as well as being the number-one ranked boxer in the United States in the 152-pound division, has died on October 16, 2019. Day died of injuries received after being knocked out by undefeated prospect Charles Conwell, a 2016 Olympian. Day himself served as the 2012 U.S. Olympic alternate to current World Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.
Day, 17-4 with six knockouts, Freeport, New York, was knocked down in rounds four, eight, and ten by David McWater fighter Charles Conwell, 11-0 with eight knockouts, Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, October 12, 2019. The final knockdown, in the tenth round at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois, sends the unconscious Day’s head crashing off the canvas. Day received immediate ringside medical attention and was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago near Wintrust Arena. Emergency brain surgery was performed, but Day was in a coma and never recovered, dying four days later.
Day had a brilliant 75-5 amateur career and had held the World Boxing Council Continental Americas Super Welterweight title. Day went swinging, with his last seven bouts being scheduled ten rounders, and all of them going into the tenth round. Day won five consecutive ten-round decisions, defending his WBC regional title. In 2019, Day lost a ten-round decision to Carlos Adames for the NABF and World Boxing Organization NABO Super Welterweight titles, then got knocked out by Conwell at 1:46 of the tenth round in a bid to win Conwell’s USBA Super Welterweight title several days ago.
Uniquely highly educated for an active professional boxer, Day earned two advanced college degrees during his professional boxing career. Day first earned an associate’s degree in nutrition from Nassau Community College. He then earned a bachelor’s degree in health and wellness from Kaplan University, now known as Purdue University Global.
Day is not the first American boxer to die from injuries sustained in the ring. From Benny ‘Kid’ Paret to Willie Classen, others have died before him. In Day’s case, there were no previous injuries, warning signs or signals until the end.
In a similar type ending to Day, the late former world heavyweight champion Greg Page was damaged by a hard head fall when he got knocked by Dale Crowe in their Erlander, Kentucky bout on March 9, 2001. Page, age 42, was irreparably brain-damaged because there was no ambulance or paramedics in attendance at the fight. Page died at his home in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 27, 2009. It took Page eight years to die from his injuries. When injuries of this type occur, sometimes luck is in the cards, sometimes in it not. Former WBC World Light Heavyweight champion Adonis Stevenson recovered form a severe brain injury in his last bout in 2018, while former world super lightweight and welterweight champion Zab Judah is recovering from a brain bleed in his last bout in 2019.
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