Paul Bamba passed away at the age of 35 (Image: undefined)
Paul Bamba admitted to having suffered brain damage just weeks before .
Bamba captured the WBA Gold Cruiserweight title in New Jersey following a victory over Rogelio Medina, marking his 14th knockout in 2024 and surpassing a record previously held by the legendary Mike Tyson. The American fighter, who had Puerto Rican roots, boasted an impressive 19-3 career record. He was also a pioneer, being the first to ink a deal with NE-YO’s management company.
A joint statement from NE-YO and Bamba’s family mournfully announced: “It is with profound sorrow that we announced the passing of beloved son, brother, friend and boxing champion Paul Bamba, whose light and love touched countless lives. He was a fierce yet confident competitor with an unrelenting ambition to achieve greatness. But more than anything he was a tremendous individual that inspired many with his exceptional drive and determination. We are heartbroken by his passing and kindly ask for privacy and understanding during this difficult time as we collectively navigate our grief.”
Mere weeks prior to his untimely death, Bamba disclosed on social media platform X, once known as Twitter, the personal battles he faced. In a candid post, he recounted the ordeal of shedding 22lbs in just three days leading up to his April 2023 bout against Chris Avila, and admitted the toll it took on him, confessing that fighting with a concussion may have caused slight brain damage.
A fan took a jab at Bamba last month on X, stating: “Least he had the balls to fight AT. You got slapped by him and he gave you ‘brain damage’ lol.” Bamba, clearly incensed by the comment, swiftly retorted: “Nah fighting Avila with a concussion and losing 22lbs in 3 days gave me slight brain damage. Which was a bit scary and I had to take 8 months off so it’s not a joking matter.”
After his defeat to Avila, Bamba bounced back to victory in January, embarking on an impressive winning streak in the ring. A bout against Tommy Fury was scheduled for November 2022, but was cancelled due to a disagreement over weight. Following his latest triumph, Bamba challenged YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, saying: “[Jake Paul] you can come get it, you can come fight for it or whatever, you can keep doing the gimmick fights. At the end of the day, I’ve put in the work.
You can say you’ve taken boxing seriously and yeah you’ve made a lot of money but you haven’t earned anything in boxing. “Least he had the balls to fight AT. You got slapped by him and he gave you ‘brain damage’ lol.” Clearly left enraged by the post, Bamba was quick to issue his own response as he replied: “If you think about how I started everything versus how everything is going now, I didn’t wait for an opportunity I created one. And I went out and grabbed it by the horns so to speak and did my thing this year. Look at the facts; 14 fights, 14 KOs in one year, how many belts have I got here?”