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Paul Bamba, who was active as a boxer for the last few years, has recently passed away at the age of 35. He was associated with singer Ne-Yo's management company for some time and participated in around 14 pro fights throughout this year, as per the New York Post.
The news of Paul's death was announced through Ne-Yo's Instagram page on December 28, 2024, saying that Bamba left an impact on the lives of a lot of people. The statement, which was shared by Paul's family, did not disclose anything about the circumstances leading to his demise.
The statement also reads:
"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."
Furthermore, Paul Bamba's family also requested privacy while they "collectively navigate" their grief. Netizens even posted tributes in the comments section, where a few people recalled their meeting with Bamba in the past. Others praised Bamba's achievements as a boxer before his sudden demise.
A report by Metro stated that Paul started establishing a career as a boxer in 2021 and had previously served as a US Marine. He participated in various matches of different categories such as Light Heavyweight against trained players such as Rogelio Medina Luna, Francisco Cordero Cruiserweight, and Jose Ramon Escobedo, as per the official website of the World Boxing Association.
Paul Bamba had a long list of achievements in the world of boxing over the years
Back in July this year, Paul fought Ronald Montes at Cartagena, Colombia, and emerged victorious in the World Boxing Association Fedcaribe belt in the cruiserweight division, as reported by the World Boxing Association.
Paul Bamba was even trending in the headlines after he decided to fight Francisco Cordero in October 2024 alongside Jake Paul and Tommy Fury. Rising Star Promotions and Prudential Center along with Joe De Guardia's Star Boxing were brought in to promote the fight. According to Phil Boxing, he addressed the fight by saying:
"That's the idea, to beat up some YouTubers and then get right back to boxing. I want to be the best in the cruiserweight division, I know that will take a lot more time and practice, and that's all I do all day."
Phil Boxing also reported that Paul Bamba started having trouble in New York City after serving in the Marines and did not have a home to stay at one point. He started boxing at The Bronx-based Morris Park Boxing Club, accumulating around $10 for each round. While speaking to Phil Boxing, Bamba addressed his career by saying:
"As each fight gets more challenging, the goal is to not only win but win well and look good and to be able to showcase my boxing skill instead of trying to just get in there and knock someone out."
Bamba said that he simply wanted to fight all the 12 rounds while going to win the world champion title. According to The Sun, Bamba had challenged Jake Paul by saying that the latter can continue with the "gimmick fights" or fight with him. He further stated:
"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."
Paul Bamba was active on Instagram with around 130,000 followers and described himself as a WBA Gold World Champion in the bio of the official account.
