Australian dies while sparring
The Australian boxing community has rallied around the family of Dwight Ritchie after the Victorian died in a training accident on Saturday after a sparring session with Michael Zerafa.
Ritchie reportedly collapsed after a body shot from Zerafa, who is training for his rematch with Jeff Horn, and was unable to be revived. He was 27 and leaves behind three daughters.
Known as ‘‘Cowboy’’, Ritchie recently lost a unanimous decision to Tim Tszyu but gained fans for his courageous performance.
He was helping fellow Victorian Zerafa prepare for his second bout with Horn when the incident occurred.
His promoter Jake Ellis posted a heartfelt message on social media, confirming the sad news.
‘‘It is with great sadness and shock to announce that the fighting cowboy Dwight Ritchie sadly passed away doing what he loved.
‘‘As Dwight’s promoter and friend it’s unbearable to accept the tragic news that’s just surfaced. Dwight will always be remembered by the boxing fraternity as one of the brightest talents in Australia who’s fighting style embodied exactly how he lived.
‘‘RIP Cowboy, you’ll be forever missed.’’
Tributes began to flow immediately, with Luke Jackson among the fellow boxers sharing their thoughts and grief via Twitter, saying ‘‘ we lost one of our own’’.
Jackson’s professional debut was on an undercard of Ritchie.
Tszyu posted on Facebook: ‘‘Today we lost a champion both in and out of the ring with the tragic passing of Dwight Ritchie. As a group we are all shattered, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Ritchie family as we all take a moment to remember a great warrior and champion.’’
Ritchie’s death adds to a difficult year for boxing and combat sports. At least three fighters have died in the ring in the United States in 2019, the most recent being Patrick Day, who died in October.