29-year-old Boxer Sherif Lawal Dies After Collapsing During First Ever Fight
The boxing community is grieving a tragic loss.
British boxer Sherif Lawal has passed away after collapsing in the ring during his professional debut, confirmed his management company. He was 29.
“Despite the efforts of paramedics, he was later declared dead,” Warren Boxing Management stated in a May 13 post, expressing condolences to Lawal’s family, friends, coaches, and loved ones during this sorrowful time.
Lawal was competing against Portuguese opponent Malam Varela when he was hit in the temple, as reported by The Guardian, during the fourth round of their six-round middleweight fight at London’s Harrow Leisure Centre on May 12. Medical personnel attended to Lawal at the venue before transferring him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
General Secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control (BBB), Richard Smith, extended sympathies to Lawal’s family on behalf of the organization, stating, “The boxing community in Great Britain offers its support during this challenging period.”