A young boxer who was tipped to be the next Amir Khan has died at the age of 18.
Ali Tazeem was involved in a car crash in Birmingham over the weekend and was rushed to hospital having suffered serious injuries.
Sadly, the teenager died following the collision.
Sam Jones, from promotion firm Probellum, confirmed the tragic news to Twitter.
Advert
He said: "This morning I woke up to the news that Ali Tazeem has passed away at the age of 18.
"I can’t believe it I can’t even process it properly.
"We only spoke yesterday talking about how he was going to light up the pro game, all I can think about is Ali and his lovely family."
Tazeem recently shared the exciting news that he had signed a professional contract with Probellum.
Advert
Writing on social media, he said: "My amateur journey has been great and I look forward to my pro career with Probellum. Couldn’t have done it without your support! See you all at my pro debut."
Just a few days before his death, he said he was excited to get started: "I made a lots of moves in the ring but the best move in my career is signing with Probellum.
"With hard work and dedication I know I can be the best in the business, especially with the support of Sam Jones, my team and great people around me."
He had more than 50 bouts as an amateur, and Amir Khan had previously said that he saw a lot of himself in the promising fighter.
Speaking a couple of years ago, he said: "I definitely think he is the next big thing for sure.
"I mean, the skillset he has, the movement, everything really reminds me of myself when I was younger and how I used to fight. I think he has got everything it takes to succeed."
Advert
Following news of Tazeem's death, people have been sharing tributes and offering their condolences to his family.
One person wrote: "Life is so unpredictable. Ali Tazeem was an amateur boxing star and only 3 weeks ago he was celebrating signing with Probellum. Yesterday his life was tragically cut short at just 18. May you Rest In Peace champ.
"We are all thinking of the Tazeem family."
Another added: Heartbreaking news coming out of the boxing world as it’s been confirmed that amateur talent Ali Tazeem has tragically passed away following a car accident. RIP."
Dominic Smithers