Ray Close’s story was never just about two famous fights, but those are the moments most people will remember first. For Northern Ireland boxing, he stood out as one of the most gifted fighters of his generation: a boy from Ledley Hall Youth and Boxing Club who grew into a British title-level presence, then a man whose career was cut short by an awful medical discovery. Close has died at the age of 57.
He first picked up boxing at Ledley Hall as a 10-year-old, and by 1988 he had turned professional after a decorated amateur career. From there, he built a record that reflected both quality and resilience: 25 victories, three defeats and one draw. But the defining chapter came in 1993, when he won the EBU super-middleweight title on St Patrick’s Day before drawing with Chris Eubank in Glasgow in May 1993.
The fights that defined him
Close’s meeting with Eubank gave him a level of visibility that only the elite of the era could command. The draw in Glasgow showed he belonged on that stage. The following year, he went again, this time at King's Hall in Belfast, where Eubank edged the rematch by split decision. A third fight never happened. Before it could be arranged, the British Boxing Board of Control revoked Close’s licence after an MRI scan revealed two lesions on his brain.
That was the cruel end to a career that still had momentum. Instead of fading quietly, Close found a route back to the ring in the United States. After obtaining a licence there, he won all five of his bouts in Illinois, a reminder that the talent had not gone away even if the opportunity at home had been taken from him.
A career that ended with one last win
Close’s final fight came in June 1997, when he beat Larry Willis by knockout. It was a fitting finish in one respect: he ended on a victory. But the larger truth is that his career stopped far too soon for a boxer of his level. He was one of those fighters whose record only partly tells the story, because the quality of opposition and the timing of his biggest nights mattered just as much as the numbers.
Ledley Hall Youth and Boxing Club described him as a true gentleman, humble, kind and always willing to give something back. Bangor Abbey Boxing Academy called him a huge loss to the boxing fraternity of Ireland and across the world. Those tributes fit the picture of a man who was remembered not only for what he achieved in the ring, but for the way he carried himself beyond it.
Ray Close’s legacy is now secure: a Belfast boxer who reached championship level, pushed Chris Eubank twice, and left behind a career that still resonates because it promised more than it was allowed to complete.
