British boxer Chad Gaynor has passed away at 32, nine years after suffering a broken neck in a car crash that stalled his career.
Gaynor suffered a defeat to Ahmet Patterson in 2014 after amassing a standout 15-1 domestic record in the UK. The Rotherman man had clawed his way back from a loss against Glen Foot to gain a crack at the English welterweight title.
However, just months after failing to win the coveted strap, Gaynor was involved in a severe car accident. He broke his neck and struggled outside of the ring as a result.
In 2020, he launched a comeback through the bare-knuckle form of combat. 29 At the time, Gaynor explained some of what he’d been through.
“My pal lost control of the car he was driving. We ended up in a ditch,” Gaynor explained. “I broke my neck. I had to get it fused back together.
“The operation was risky. I could have been paralyzed. The operation went OK, but it really messed me up. My head was a mess for years,” he admitted.
Gaynor added how the wreck made him spiral: “I signed with a management company in Los Angeles, and then the accident messed everything up.
“I went mad. I wasted all those years.”
In addition, a shocking revelation compounded his misery. A second opinion told Gaynor that he could have boxed after his surgery.
“I was told I would never fight again. But when I went back to see the surgeon twelve months ago, he said I could have fought after the operation because my neck was strong enough.
“But I still have a few years left. Bareknuckle boxing is the sport everyone wants to be a part of now.”
Boxer Chad Gaynor dead at 32
Gaynor failed to make a dent in his new code and died just three years later. No cause of death has been revealed.
Jamie Kennedy, the owner of Gaynor’s home gym, made a sad announcement on social media.
“This is a very hard post and one you never dream of writing. And one I could probably re-write every ten minutes as things come to mind. The sad passing of one of the boys [Chad Gaynor].
“This young man was a pleasure to train and have in the gym. He’s a part of Millennium Boxing [gym] history.
“And when the time is right, I will tell you his story. I wouldn’t be the coach I am today without our journey.
“His name gets mentioned still when I travel anywhere in the boxing world. What a ride it was. He made me proud so many times.
“The people who trained him and alongside him and managed him have been calling me all day talking about all the fun times we had, amateur and professional.
“The things I teach the boxers and coaches now are things we learned traveling together. Boxers and trainers make bonds you will never understand.
“Chad Gaynor will always be in my heart. Thank you, my friend. RIP.”
Gaynor’s social media page gave a somber description in his own words of how his life had turned out.
“Former professional boxer until I broke my neck. Now, just an average lad trying to get by.”
