A rising teenage boxing star, dubbed the 'next Amir Khan', died in a tragic car accident in Wolverhampton, his promoter confirmed.
Midlands-born Ali Tazeem, 18, died in the accident after a car and bus collided at a junction, reports said. Three people are believed to have been left injured, with Tazeem sadly passing away, reported MailOnline.
According to the report, the highly-rated youngster only signed his professional contract with Probellum three weeks ago and had a huge boxing career ahead of him.
His promoter Sam Jones confirmed the news in an emotional tweet on Sunday (17).
"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," he said.
"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."
Ali Tazeem with Amir Khan (Photo: Instagram)
Tazeem had a hugely successful amateur career. He won 15 international gold medals from 51 bouts, losing just six times.
The Midlands star only recently expressed his delight at his signing his professional deal a few days ago.
Reports said that the crash site in Wolverhampton shows the car which looked to have veered off the road. The accident took place in the early hours of Sunday. Police now appealing for witnesses for the incident.
"I made a lot 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," Tazeem said on social media after signing the professional contract.
"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," he had said earlier.
British Boxing legend Khan likened the youngster to himself, after previously saying: "He will be the next me and make history." He added that Tazeem had a huge future ahead.
"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. Definitely, I think he has got everything it takes [to succeed]," Khan commented after Tazeem claimed two gold medals in the Bristol Boxing Cup.
"What was particularly impressive for me was he moved up a weight class to make it more challenging and ended up winning gold in both weight categories [in Bristol]. Since then, I have kept in touch with him."
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