Jean-Baptiste Mendy, former lightweight world champion, died Monday night at the age of fifty-seven from pancreatic cancer in a Paris hospital, his son Ellyson announced on Tuesday.
“It was really quick,” says Ellyson Mendy.
He learned of his illness at the end of June-beginning of July and it escalated. "
Renowned for his elegance both on and off the ring, Jean-Baptiste Mendy shone with his technique and his punch despite his large size for his category (1.77m for 61 kg).
The one who was born in Dakar and who arrived at 1 year in the Paris region, became French lightweight champion in 1991 and then European champion the following year at the expense of the Italian Antonio Renzo in 1992 in Creil (Oise).
Title he kept six times.
The great French boxer finally became WBC and WBA lightweight world champion in 1996 and 1998.
Today we learned of the death of Jean-Baptiste Mendy ... Let's pay tribute to one of the most elegant boxers of his generation
We will always remember this magical evening at Bercy in 1998!
pic.twitter.com/5CCRAaYqCc
- Univent Boxing (@UniventBoxing) September 1, 2020
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Former world champion Jean-Baptiste Mendy has passed away
