This is tough. Pat was a good kid. I got to know him in June while working with him leading up to his fight in Temecula. Away from the cameras he was a humble guy that just loved to box because of the rush he got from it. He was always positive, even after losing the fight in CA.

A few weeks later I got to know Maxim Dadashev. I worked with him in the days leading up to his fight in DC that claimed his life. He was super confident in the locker room as he headed out to the ring but he ran into a buzz saw. We had a couple conversations about why he loved boxing and he said that he loved it because it was going to be the way he could get his wife and young son in to the US. I was sick to my stomach as he was wheeled past me on the way to the ambulance.

These boxers truly love what they do. They love to entertain, they love the rush of being in a fight. It’s hard to know how to proceed in the sport when 3 fighters have died in recent months due to fight related injuries. Boxing has seen a considerable bump in popularity over the last couple of years. With the Heavyweight division finally getting interesting again, I think it will only continue to rise in popularity. Hopefully it won’t lead to an increase in the number of serious injuries in the ring.