Belfast boxer Ray Close will be remembered as a “legend” of the ring following his death.
News of the former super-middleweight champion’s death at the age of 57 emerged on Friday.
Originally from east Belfast, Ray turned professional in the late 1980s, with his first pro fight at the city’s Ulster Hall.
He was best known among fans of the sport for his two world title bouts against Chris Eubank in 1993 and 1994.
An iconic image of Ray feeding his baby daughter ahead of the 1993 bout was taken by fellow boxing legend and Irish News photographer, the late Brendan Murphy.
A planned third fight in 1995 was called off after Ray failed an MRI scan.
In a statement posted online, a spokesperson for the Bangor Abbey Boxing Academy, where Ray had previously trained, said: “Ray will be a huge loss to the boxing fraternity of Ireland and across the world. Ray and his whole family have been a huge part of our club over the years right from the very start and we are truly devastated.”
They added: “RIP champ.”
