At the age of 29, Sherif Lawal had first stepped onto the professional boxing floor. He played in the Middleweight weight class, encountered the Portuguese opponent Malam Varela. The attendance of Lawal took place at the center of Harrow, located in the northwest of London, England.
Compared to Lawal, Malam Varela has more professional boxing experience. That was shown in the match, where Varela played increasingly overwhelming against the opponent. Entering the fourth half, Varela punched Lawal. The referee immediately stopped the match, asking for medical support.
As soon as Lawal went to the radio, he was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. This boxer was cure the doctors, but he did not survive. Lawal's host company Warren Boxing Management also admitted that the boxer had “collapsed in the middle of the match”.
The match between Lawal and Varela is expected to last for 6 rounds, but Lawal shows that he is not able to encounter a superior opponent than himself in terms of qualifications and experience. Lawal's death is also an alarming information for professional boxing management in the UK.
The professional boxing event with Lawal also immediately cancel all the remaining matches. Many British boxers, including the Tyson Fury champion, have known. Fury said: “Hope he will be in peace. Lawal receives money to play in danger, and such things still happen.”
In recent years, the international professional boxing has increasingly tightened the regulations related to the safety of boxers. However, cases of fighters died during or after competing often occur. On average, about 10-20 fighters died.