How Barry McGuigan will forever be haunted by his tragic fight with late Young Ali – after boxer broke down in tears discussing his daughter’s death on I’m A Celeb

As I read through this heart-wrenching story of Barry McGuigan, I couldn’t help but feel a deep admiration for the man and his journey. His life has been a rollercoaster ride of triumphs and tragedies, yet he continues to inspire us with his resilience and compassion.

Boxing legend Barry McGuigan, who gained fame on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, continues to be deeply affected by the unfortunate demise of his rival from early in his boxing journey.

As a lifestyle enthusiast, I can empathize with the poignant moment experienced by the esteemed former World Champion, now 63 years old, during Monday night’s broadcast. He found himself overcome with emotion as he reminisced about the untimely passing of his daughter, Danika, who lost her battle with cancer at the young age of 33 in 2019.

Approximately thirty years prior, McGuigan underwent another life-altering traumatic incident. During their June 1982 fight at London’s Grosvenor Hotel in Mayfair, Nigerian featherweight Young Ali collapsed into a coma following the event.

Six months following our electrifying encounter in the ring of Lagas, I found myself clinging to life, transported back to this city that pulsed with the energy of our shared passion. Yet, fate had other plans, and as I lay in a hospital bed, the spirit that once fueled my victories finally surrendered six long months later.

McGuigan was deeply affected by the tragedy, much like Ali (whose real name is Asymin Mustapha), who was also battling at the same time for his pregnant spouse. However, unlike McGuigan and his partner Sandra who welcomed their son Blain into their lives, Sadly, the African boxer never had the chance to meet his newborn child.

After that fight, McGuigan pondered leaving boxing. When he returned to the ring four months later to compete for the British featherweight title, he faced difficulties, but ultimately emerged victorious by halting Jimmy Duncan in the third round.

However, not long after their rough fight, Mustaffa sadly passed away due to the wounds he sustained from McGuigan. This tragic event weighed heavily on McGuigan, causing him to reflect: “It’s a burden I’ll carry for the remainder of my existence.

In his autobiography, Cyclone, McGuigan recounted that during their fight, the resilient Nigerian displayed impressive recovery after receiving numerous strong blows. However, as they prepared to enter the sixth round, McGuigan felt assured of emerging victorious.

He wrote: ‘I came out for that round thinking, right, I am going to go and get him now.

In this instance, Ali started to lose strength, and I delivered a powerful right hook straight to his nose.

‘I had hit him with a couple beforehand and he was starting to go so I went bom, bom… Bam!

‘I hit him and the reaction was incredible. His head swung around and he just fell down.’

McGuigan then recalls how he noticed Ali did not get up, even after the referee counted to ten.

He continued: ‘The doctors were in there immediately, they didn’t have paramedics or stretchers in those days.

‘They crowded over for three or four minutes, I was beginning to wonder what was going on.’

McGuigan mentioned, “A person approached me and said, ‘That child, that child seems to be injured heavily.’

‘I couldn’t believe it. “You must be joking,'”I replied. “No” he said, “he’s very badly hurt.”

McGuigan added: ‘I just thought, oh my God.’

According to the Irishman, Ali managed to rise after being knocked down, though he thinks Ali might have been helped back up prior to falling again.

Initially, Ali was rushed to the closest hospital. Later, he was transferred to another facility for surgery, but due to the delay, the outcome turned out to be catastrophic.

McGuigan stated: ‘They attempted surgery on Ali, yet they failed to control the bleeding. I’m unsure of the reason behind their inability to do so.’

‘Ali never regained consciousness after the incident, instead remaining in a coma. About a month later, they transported him back to Nigeria and sustained his life using a ventilator.’

After the occurrence, McGuigan found it challenging to accept and understand the situation. He penned down, “People considered me as a friendly child. Many took a liking to me, but now I find myself standing on the brink of having taken someone’s life, and yet it was all sanctioned and legitimate.

He commented, “I pondered, ‘How might others have viewed me?’ I wondered why it was Ali who experienced this rather than me. I spent a significant amount of time at the church, offering numerous prayers.

Four months after pondering retirement, McGuigan stepped back into the ring to fight Duncan. However, just after securing victory, he was hit with devastating news: Young Ali showed no signs of improvement and his family made the heart-wrenching choice to withdraw life support. Tragically, on December 13, 1982, Young Ali passed away.

After the unfortunate brawl, McGuigan effectively advocated for safety enhancements to be implemented by the British Boxing Authority. These measures encompassed ensuring the closest neurosurgery facility is informed of any upcoming matches, and in case a boxer sustains a head injury during the fight, the wounded fighter will be transported to that specific hospital.

Paramedics and an increased medical presence overall was also brought in.

Approximately two and a half years after the event, McGuigan emotionally dedicated his World Championship victory against Eusebio Pedroza to Young Ali, causing him to break down in tears during an interview with renowned BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter. This heartfelt moment was broadcast live to millions of television viewers worldwide.

McGuigan said: ‘It was an important moment, simple as that, and I was hugely emotional.

It was deeply meaningful to me that during my greatest triumph, I could recall Young Ali in such a manner.

After retiring from boxing in 1989, McGuigan transitioned into coaching and has since achieved great success, mentoring World Champions such as Carl Frampton and Josh Taylor.

In a new twist, the man from Ireland has the potential to include “King of the Jungle” among his accolades, making him currently the runner-up for the ITV1 series, trailing slightly behind Danny Jones, a member of the band McFly.

During Monday’s broadcast, he revealed a tender aspect of himself by discussing the passing of his actress daughter with fellow contestants, leaving viewers touched.

McGuigan’s eyes welled up as he shared that Danika missed out on the significant role, which might have been her major career breakthrough.

In 2020, the actress completed filming for a role in the thriller “Wildfire,” however, she passed away just under a year before its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Barry mentioned that the movie earned positive reviews after it came out, and Danika had put in so much effort to reach her position, prior to her demise.

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2024-11-19 19:56