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(CNN) - Boxer Patrick Day died Wednesday, four days after he was knocked out during his fight with Charles Conwell on Saturday night in Chicago.
Day, 27, succumbed to a traumatic brain injury he suffered that night, according to a statement from his promoter, Joe DiBella of DiBella Entertainment.
READ: Two professional boxers die in a matter of days: these are the risks of boxing
"He was surrounded by his family, close friends and members of his boxing team, including his mentor, friend and coach Joe Higgins," DiBella said in a statement. "On behalf of the family, Patrick's team and those closest to him, we are grateful for the prayers, expressions of support and the outpouring of love for Pat that have been so obvious since his injury."
In a Twitter post to Day on Tuesday, Conwell wrote that "I never wanted this to happen to you."
#champpatrickday pic.twitter.com/S5MO43552C
- Charles Conwell (@CharlesConwell) October 15, 2019
“All I wanted to do was win. If I could recover everything, I would, ”Conwell wrote. “Nobody deserves this to happen to them. I repeat the fight over and over again in my head thinking what would happen if this had never happened and why it happened to you. ”
After Conwell, a 2016 Olympic boxer, knocked out Day in the tenth round, Day appeared to be inactive for several minutes while a medical team rushed to assess his injuries. Finally, he was taken out of the ring on a stretcher and transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
DiBella said that Day did not need boxing since it came from a good family, had studied and could have made a living in some other way.
"He chose to box, knowing the inherent risks that each fighter faces when he enters a boxing ring," DiBella said. “Boxing is what Pat loved to do. It's how he inspired people and it was something that made him feel alive. ”
Conwell had control of the fight at Wintrust Arena from the beginning, according to ESPN.
Before becoming a professional boxer, Day was a highly decorated fan. He won two national titles, the New York Gold Gloves tournament and was a substitute for the Olympic Team, all in 2012.
He became a professional in 2013 and won the WBC Continental Americas Championship in 2017 and the FIB Intercontinental Championship in 2019. In June 2019, he was ranked in the top 10 by the CMB and the FIB. Until Saturday, Day's record was 17-4-1, with six knockouts.
Dibella said it is "very difficult to explain or justify the dangers of boxing at a time like this."
"While we don't have the answers, we certainly know many of the questions, we have the means to answer them and we have the opportunity to answer responsibly and accordingly and make boxing safer for everyone involved," said DiBella Entertainment .
"This is one way we can honor the legacy of Pat Day."
Boxer
