Former Olympic gold medal-winning boxer Howard Davis Jr. died on Wednesday after losing his battle with cancer. He was 59 years old.
Davis brother confirmed the news to Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole.
Davis was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer over the summer and was given four months to live. He was said to be living on borrowed time in the weeks prior to his death.
“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy,” Davis told FOX 5 New York in an interview published two weeks ago, regarding his condition. “As of now, I can barely walk. The cancer is just eating at protein cells that I need to function as a human being.”
Davis was confused about his lung cancer diagnosis because he says he never drank nor smoked.
Davis won the gold medal in the lightweight boxing division at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. He was awarded the Val Barker Trophy as the most outstanding fighter at the Games, beating out boxers like Sugar Ray Leonard, and Leon and Michael Spinks.
As an amateur, the Long Island product defeated names like Thomas Hearns and Aaron Pryor. Davis went 36-6-1 (14 KOs) as a professional.
Davis served as a boxing trainer for MMA fighters after retiring from boxing in 1996. He trained several American Top Team fighters, and notably trained UFC star Chuck Liddell. He also served as a commentator and promoter after hanging up the gloves.
