Monday, April 27, 2009

Former world champion Page dies

Greg Page (centre) during a 1992 fight against Donovan Ruddock
Greg Page (centre) during a 1992 fight against Donovan Ruddock

Greg Page, a former heavyweight boxing champion who suffered a severe brain injury in a 2001 fight, has died at 50.

His wife Patricia said the one-time WBA champion had died at his home in Kentucky, USA, of complications related to injuries he suffered in the fight.

Page was in a coma for a week after the 9 March 2001 fight against Dale Crowe which was stopped in the 10th round.

Patricia Page said he was "in a better place now" after announcing on Monday he had died overnight in his sleep.

Page was 42 and had won 58 of his 75 fights when going into the $1,500 (£1,025) fight against Crowe, 24, but did not make it to the 11th round.

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After regaining consciousness, he suffered a stroke during post-fight surgery, was paralysed on his left side and received intensive physical therapy.

Page won a $1.2m (£820,000) settlement in 2007 with Kentucky boxing officials over the lack of medical personnel at the fight.

He started fighting while growing up in Louisville and was sparring with Muhammad Ali by the time he was 15. He became the National Golden Gloves heavyweight champion in 1978 at age 20.

Page lost his first shot at the WBA heavyweight championship in 1984 when losing to Tim Witherspoon.

But in December of the same year he knocked out Gerrie Coetzee in South Africa to claim the title, which he held for five months.

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