Ray Close, Belfast boxer who fought Chris Eubank, dies aged 57

Ray Close, the Belfast boxer who pushed WBO super-middleweight champion Chris Eubank hard across two fights, has died at the age of 57, the BBC reports on 2 October 2026. One of Northern Ireland’s most gifted fighters, Close’s career featured an EBU title and high-profile international contests.

Born in 1969, Close turned professional in 1988 after a decorated amateur career. He won the EBU super-middleweight title on St Patrick's Day in 1993.

Eubank, who had won all 35 of his professional bouts, was defending the WBO super-middleweight title in May 1993 when he met Close in Glasgow; the pair "could not be separated on the scorecards." The result left Close widely noted for his performance against a previously unbeaten world champion.

A rematch was staged at a raucous King's Hall in Belfast the following year, where Close again produced a strong showing but lost on a split decision. A third fight had been scheduled, but Close's boxing licence was revoked by the British Boxing Board of Control before it could take place after a MRI scan revealed two lesions on his brain.

Close later returned to the ring after obtaining a licence in the USA and won all five of his bouts in Illinois, the last of which was a knockout victory over Larry Willis in June 1997. His professional record reads as 25 victories, three defeats and one draw - which came against Eubank.

Ledley Hall Youth and Boxing Club in east Belfast, where Close began boxing at 10, led tributes on Facebook, calling him a "true gentleman, humble, kind and always willing to give something back." The club added: "To our young people, Ray was proof of what could be achieved," and said: "He was someone who had come through the same doors, trained in the same club and gone on to accomplish incredible things." The club added that Close's story has "inspired generations of young people at Ledley Hall and will continue to do so" and wrote: "There are some people who become part of the history and heart of a place, and Ray will always be part of ours. "We will remember him with enormous pride, affection and gratitude."

Bangor Abbey Boxing Academy, where Close also trained, said he will be a "huge loss to the boxing fraternity of Ireland and across the world" and added: "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."