Flint Tragedy Continues: Trainer Ali Bashir Hospitalized For Brain Hemorrhage
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Famed boxing trainer James Ali Bashir, former trainer of Wladimir Klitschko, who trained female world champion Ivana Habazin for her female middleweight championship bout with Claressa Shields this past weekend on Showtime, a bout postponed when Bashir was shockingly assaulted, sucker-punched, knocked unconscious, and seriously injured at the weigh-in the day before the fight in Flint, Michigan, has had his health take another dark turn after facial reconstructive surgery, and he is now fighting for his life. The police have the suspect in custody, caught attempting to flee the scene. Showtime went public yesterday and identified 28-year-old parolee Artis Jacquel Mack, brother of Claressa Shields of Flint, Michigan, as the suspect, the attacker who brutally assaulted and sucker-punched Habazin’s trainer James Ali Bashir in the weigh-in area at the Dort Federal Event Center in Flint on Friday, October 4, 2019, after verbal arguments at the weigh-in between Bashir, Mack, and Shields’ sister as well. Mack’s assault charges could be upgraded to something far worse, depending on the ability of Detroit doctors to save Mr. Bashir’s life.
Shields started the controversy with verbal attacks at Habazin during the Thursday, October 3, 2019, press conference, and from that point on, confrontations between the Shields and Habazin camps spiraled out of control. Habazin also claimed to be the victim of ongoing threats from the Claressa Shields and her camp, and had strong words to say following Shields’ so-called apologies. Shields blew a 350 thousand dollar payday, a sum unheard in the history of women’s boxing, and her future stock reached an all-time low after the incident. Habazin has stated she still wants a rematch, but her trainer will have to be there for that to happen. That possibility in 2020 is suddenly in great doubt as Mr. Bashir is now fighting for his life.
After undergoing facial reconstructive surgery at Henry Ford Hospital, Bashir has now been diagnosed with intracerebral hemorrhage with bleeding on his brain, and is now hospitalized again in Detroit in unknown condition on Tuesday, October 8, 2019. Habazin went public on Tuesday morning after her trainer, Bashir was diagnosed with an Intracerebral hemorrhage. “Yesterday, my coach, James Ali Bashir, was called by Detroit hospital’s personnel. He was told he needs to go to the nearest hospital ASAP because he has bleeding in his brain.” It is not known if Bashir will require emergency surgery in Detroit on his brain to save his life. The situation for Bashir continues to decline, and we of Real Combat Media will keep James Ali Bashir in our prayers. We will make additional details known regarding Bashir’s fight for his life, when more information is available.
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