Puerto Rican skilled boxer Paul Bamba handed away this week, his household and supervisor, R&B singer Shaffer “Ne-Yo” Smith, confirmed in a joint assertion on Friday. He was 35.
“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of beloved son, brother, friend and boxing champion Paul Bamba, whose light and love touched countless lives,” the assertion posted on Instagram learn.
“He was a fierce yet confident competitor with an unrelenting ambition to achieve greatness. But more than anything, he was a tremendous individual that inspired many with his exceptional drive and determination. We are heartbroken by his passing and kindly ask for privacy and understanding during this difficult time as we collectively navigate our grief.”
The information comes one week after Bamba gained the WBA Gold Cruiserweight title and broke Mike Tyson‘s report for essentially the most skilled fights in a single 12 months—14 fights, all knockouts.
Find out extra under.
Who Was Paul Bamba?
Bamba was born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, and was not solely a boxer but in addition a Marine Corps veteran. His path to boxing started after he struggled with PTSD following a tour in Iraq and confronted homelessness. He fought his method up the ranks, coaching at Morris Park Boxing Club within the Bronx, and turned skilled in January 2021.
In a 2021 interview, Bamba credited the game for altering his life and giving him a way of objective.
“I grew up in foster houses and enlisted within the Marines after I was 17. After the Marines, I moved to New York City to construct a life and profession for myself. But discovering success within the metropolis, particularly beginning with nothing, could be a problem. I used to be homeless twice through the first few years, however finally discovered some footing on this planet of health and boxing. I began as a fighter and a coach at boxing gyms. A couple of years later, I based Trifecta Strong LLC. I’ve been combating in numerous methods my complete life.
Boxing has taught me to be a greater particular person. It has taught me which you could by no means be good at all the pieces. Some stuff is all the time going to be a problem, however adaptability is extra vital than perfection. If you run into an issue, you possibly can’t simply quit. It’s understanding that it’s a must to preserve pushing ahead and on the identical time be OK with not figuring out all the pieces.”
Bamba’s victory over Rogelio Medina in New Jersey gave him a profession report of 19-3, with 18 knockouts—14 of which got here in 2024.
At the time of his passing, Bamba was residing in Atlanta and dealing as Ne-Yo’s private coach.
What Was Bamba’s Cause of Death?
The reason behind Bamba’s dying has not been revealed as of but. However, some followers are speculating that it might have been on account of a well being problem since considered one of Bamba’s fights earlier this 12 months was canceled on account of an “unforeseen medical issue,” Rising Star Promotions defined in an Instagram assertion in September 2024. The match was rescheduled to happen in October 2024 in New Jersey.