Rest In Peace, Ed Brown

UPDATE 2: A fund and a page has been set up to help cover expenses for burial and such.

UPDATE: The fight is over.

“He passed,” said Mike Cericola, the co manager of Chicago welterweight prospect Ed Brown.

Brown is another grim statistic in the war zone that is Chicago, but so much more than that to his family and friends, who figured he’d be one to escape the clutches of the on the ropes region. 699 persons have been shot and killed in Chicago this year, tomorrow the number will be higher.

Brown was 24 years old.

Kenneth Sims, age 22, a 10-0 welterweight from Chicago, is hurting. “I just want people to know that Ed was one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet. All he did was crack jokes and have fun. Boxing was his life. I looked up to him since I was 10. We traveled the entire country together. He always wanted to see everybody do something good. He was everyone’s biggest cheerleader and wanted everybody to be great. I love him and boxing in Chicago won’t be the same without him.”

Dunkin, the ace manager for several decades now, told us he was very, very saddened by the turn of events. “Ed was really shy and quiet and he had amazing talent,” said Dunkin, who repeatedly asked Brown to relocate out of that dangerous locale. “He would have been a special fighter!”

Emily Pandelakis toils as a publicist and is an ascending matchmaker. “I have worked with Ed over the past 18 months or so since he signed with Cameron, Mike and Victory. He was a sweet kid. Ed would hashtag everything #ilovemylife and it was a big joke… people would goof on him and tag their photos that way, but he really did seem to love his life, and the people in it. I mean, look at the outpouring on social media for him. Hundreds of people he touched. Every time he fought he would have so many people watching and cheering for him.

“He listened. There aren’t a lot of people who do that anymore. He would ask questions about what was going on with you and your life, and he would listen, and genuinely cared to hear what you said. I think that’s why he touched people. His heart – it’s big. He was always smiling, always laughing…. I just feel sad. Sad for him, for his friends and family, especially his boxing family and all the folks who looked up to him…I just feel heartbroken for the many many people who loved him, whose lives he touched. He touched mine, and I will forever think of him smiling and affectionate. He was … it’s weird to say was…. such a sweet kid. I’m gonna miss him. I’m going to miss him making it… being big. He was right there.”
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Welterweight prospect Ed Brown is today fighting the most difficult battle of his young life, in a Chicago area hospital. The 20-0 hitter was shot in the head and I asked co manager Mike Cericola for an update.

“He’s on life support and doctors are waiting for brain swelling to go down before running tests,” Cericola, who helms Brown with Cameron Dunkin, said. “Hundreds of visitors flooded the lobby to visit and hundreds more are sending messages and prayers.

“Ed Brown is Chicago’s son. The historical gun violence in Chicago has put Ed down on the scorecards. For most, that brings a cloud of doubt but to tell anyone that knows Ed Brown that he needs a knockout to win brings us comfort. If anyone can BAD BOY can.”

We at NYF join Mike and friends and family of Ed in hoping that Brown fights off the ropes and wins this epic comeback struggle.