Mike collapsed in the ring at the Club after he was stopped in the fifth round and was rushed to hospital after receiving attention from the ringside medical team.
Sadly ‘Iron’ Mike – who was 25 – could not recover from his injuries and died peacefully late on Friday night with his family at his bedside at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth hospital.
All our thoughts are with the Towell family as we mourn the loss of one of Scotland’s most exciting boxing talents.
His manager Tommy Gilmour MBE travelled to the hospital with Mike alongside St Andrew’s Sporting Club director Iain Wilson and they have spent much of the last 36 hours in a bedside
vigil with the family.
Tommy said: “He was ‘Iron’ Mike to the end, he kept fighting till the last and we have lost an exciting boxer but, more importantly, a very special man.
“I am devastated and all my thoughts are with Mike’s mum Tracey, his partner Chloe and their little son Rocco.
“He was one of the greatest characters I have worked with, I came away from every phone call or chat we had smiling and shaking my head in bewilderment.
“Mike died doing what he loved best, boxing. He put so much into every part of his life, both inside and outside the ring.
“I can’t pay a high enough tribute to the British Boxing Board of Control medical team at ringside and the staff at the hospital for their valiant efforts to save Mike.
“My thoughts are also with referee Victor Loughlin. I know he is devastated but there is absolutely nothing more he could have done to prevent this tragedy and no blame whatsoever can be attributed to him.”
St Andrew’s Sporting Club owner Iain Wilson paid his own emotional tribute to ‘Iron’ Mike after his first defeat in 13 fights ended in tragedy.
Iain said: “He wasn’t just a fighter at our Club, he was my friend and a special heart and soul guy. I was with the family through the nightafter the fight, they are heartbroken and everyone at the Club shares their grief.
“We promoted nine of Mike’s 13 fights, six of them were in the St Andrew’s Sporting Club and our members loved watching him doing what he loved best.
“We have lost one of our favourite sons and boxing has lost an explosive talent but the biggest loss of all is for the Towell family. We will rally round them now to do all we can.”
