Veteran American boxer Carson Jones has died at the age of 38 after suffering complications from surgery on his esophagus.
Jones, who enjoyed two battles with Kell Brook before the Brit’s reign as IBF welterweight champion, won 44 of his 65 professional contests and was once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world.
His last outing came back in 2023, before he stepped away from boxing to undergo surgery on his esophagus.
Last week former opponent Caleb Truax revealed his good friend had fallen ill due to ‘complications during a surgical procedure’ – and now he has announced Jones’ tragic passing.
Truax, who held the IBF super-middleweight title from 2017-18, shared a photo of the pair together on X and wrote: ‘Rest in paradise to my man. Boxing lost a good one, too early.’
Jones had told his social-media followers earlier this year that he was struggling with gastrointestinal problems, which affects the digestive passageway that food and liquids travel through.
US boxer Carson Jones has died at the age of 38 after suffering complications from surgery
Jones is best known for his two memorable battles with British fighter Kell Brook (left)
‘I finally have surgery on my esophagus on Monday. I cannot wait. This s*** is driving me insane,’ he posted in January.
‘I’ve had a max of three bites of food per day for the last few weeks, with a loss of 35 pounds. Some days, there is no food or drink at all.’
Tributes have poured in for the Oklahoma-born fighter following the news of his tragic passing on Saturday.
Brook, who defeated Jones on points and then by stoppage in their two bouts, shared a post from another user on his Instagram story which reads: ‘Sad news to the boxing world today, Carson jones passed away. He was a true veteran to the sport with over 60 pro fights. His fights against @specialkellbrook really put kel on the map.’
Referee Mark Lyson also wrote online: ‘Very sad to hear the news about the passing of Carson Jones at just 38. RIP Champ.’
