Former French boxer Jean-Baptise Mendy, former champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Council (WBC), has died at the age of 57 after suffering from cancer, his son announced to L’Equipe newspaper.
“It was very quick, he found out he was sick in late June, early July and started climbing,” Ellyson Mendy noted.
The WBA paid tribute on Twitter to the Frenchman (55 victories, 31 by KO, 8 defeats and 3 void), calling him “one of the greatest fighters in the history of his country.”
Known for his elegance, Dakar-born Mendy, who grew up in the Paris region, won the WBC lightweight belt in 1996 against American Lamar Murphy after a first attempt in 1994, when he fell to Mexican Miguel Ángel González.
Dethroned the following year by American Stevie Johnston to the points in his first title defense, he rose to the super lightweight, losing the WBA title bout to Khalid Rahilou in 1998.
That same year he won the lightweight title (WBA) against Orzubek Nazarov. He retired in 2000. AFP (HN).