- 44-year-old former British boxer Dean Francis is dead
- He died a little over a year after being diagnosed with terminal cancer
- Francis has a son named Rocco with his wife Ghalia
Former England cruiserweight champion Dean Francis has passed away at the age of 44 according to the Mirror.
The ex-boxer was said to have died after suffering from terminal cancer which he was diagnosed of in 2017.
Francis fought 39 fights in his 20-year career in the sport and lost just four and one ended in a draw – which means he won 34 of the bouts.
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During his active fighting days, he won British, European, Inter-Continental and Commonwealth titles under the nickname 'Star'.
Among the people that paid tribute to the late boxer was his former promote Eddie Hearn, saying Francis was a superb boxer during his days.
"My family and all at Match room Boxing send our deepest condolences to the family of Dean Francis, a great fighter and a lovely man. Rest in peace.” He tweeted.
Francis, who disclosed his situation almost 15 months ago, has a son named Rocco with his wife Ghalia.
However, he had announced his retirement from boxing in 2014 following an impressive 20 years of professional boxing career.
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Former champion Dean Francis dies of terminal disease - Credit: The Image
Francis battled with a long-term shoulder problem, initially sustained in 1998, and had come out of retirement two years earlier.
He could have won the British light-heavyweight title before ending his career but missed out in his fight against Bob Ajisafe due to unanimous points decision.
Francis received the support of boxing legends Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton as he raised money to fund his treatment in India, Barcelona and Mexico.
Calzaghe, who faced Francis as an amateur in 1991, felt his opponent should have become a world champion.
“I believe he would’ve won the world title if he didn’t damage his shoulder,” said Calzaghe earlier this year.
“I boxed Dean in 1991 and he was beating everybody at the time. I always followed his career, always had massive respect for him."
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Source: Naija.ng