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Boxer Paul Bamba died on Friday at the age of 35, just six days after winning the WBA Gold Cruiserweight Championship.
Grammy Award-winning singer Ne-Yo, who signed Bamba to his management company in November, released a statement on Bamba’s death on Instagram, writing:
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved son, brother, friend and boxing champion Paul Bamba, whose light and love touched countless lives.
“He was a passionate but confident competitor with a relentless ambition to achieve greatness. Above all, he was a great human being who inspired many with his extraordinary drive and determination. We are heartbroken by his death and kindly ask for privacy and understanding during this difficult time as we deal with our grief together.”
Bamba, a native of Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, defeated Rogelio Medina by sixth-round technical knockout on December 21 for the vacant WBA gold cruiserweight world title.
This was the 14th consecutive victory for Bamba, who compiled a record of 19-3 during his professional boxing career.
Every fight during Bamba’s winning streak came in 2024 as he increased his career record from 5-3 to 19-3 over the course of the year.
Bamba was scheduled to face Tommy Fury, the younger brother of former world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, back in November 2022, but the fight was canceled and never rescheduled.
After defeating Medina last week, Bamba called out Jake Paul, who is coming off a win over legendary Hall of Fame heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson.
Paul wrote “RIP Paul Bamba” in a post on X Friday evening.
