Recently deceased boxing champion Paul Bamba broke Mike Tyson's four-decade-old mega record days before passing away

Paul Bamba shattered one of Mike Tyson's long-held records just days before his tragic passing. Last Friday, Bamba's manager, Shaffer 'Ne-Yo' Smith, took to social media to announce the heartbreaking news of the Puerto Rican fighter's passing at the age of 35. This untimely death came just days after Bamba captured the WBA Gold Cruiserweight title with a victory over Rogelio Medina.

In 1986, at the height of his career, 'Iron Mike' set an extraordinary record by fighting and winning 13 bouts in a single calendar year. This remarkable feat culminated in Tyson capturing the WBC heavyweight title by knocking out Trevor Berbick in the second round. More than 38 years later, Bamba eclipsed this iconic milestone.

Bamba competed 14 times in 2024, securing a knockout victory in each bout, with one fight each month, save for September. His year began with a dominant win over Guillermo Ponce, followed by a triumph over Sergio Luna in January.

His year began with a dominant win over Guillermo Ponce, followed by a triumph over Sergio Luna in January. These victories were just the start, as he went on to defeat Jefferson Troncoso, Victor Coronado, Pedro Miranda, Adoni Zapata Garcia, Jose Ramon Escobedo, Francisco Fuentes, Ronald Montes, Jose Luis Herrera, Angel Giovanni Ocano Garcia, Francisco Cordero, and Santander Silgado Gelez, finishing the year with a final knockout win over Medina.

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Paul Bamba confessed to shocking brain injury weeks before his death

While the exact cause of Paul Bamba's death remains undisclosed, he had previously opened up about the toll his frequent bouts had taken on his brain.

In response to a naysayer's comment on X just weeks before his death, Bamba shared that he had suffered brain damage during his loss to former UFC star Chris Avila in their Misfits Boxing fight in April 2023:

"Nah, fighting Avila with a concussion and losing 22 pounds in three days gave me slight brain damage. Which was a bit scary, and I had to take eight months off, so it’s not a joking matter."

Check out Paul Bamba's comments below: