The East End has long been known as a hotbed of boxing, with the area having produced a series of world champions over the years.
On Saturday night Connor Benn, the son of former two-times world champion Nigel Benn stepped into the ring at Tottenham Hotspur's stadium to defeat Chris Eubanks Jnr - himself the son of another former world champ in Chris Eubanks, Benn's deadly rival from the 1980s and 1990s.Wearing the crest of West Ham United, Benn Jnr produced a fantastic performance to stun Eubanks - who was floored twice in the final round - and win a comprehensive points victory, gaining revenge for the loss in their previous meeting.
"It's been some journey and I feel like this is the end of the Benn-Eubank saga," the winner told sports broadcaster DAZN. "It's done and finished. It's over. This ends here."
Yet just hours later, and with the East End still in celebratory mood in the wake of Benn's unexpected victory, we learned the sad news that fellow fighter Mark Kaylor - who was born in Canning Town and raised in Stanford-le-Hope - had died at the age of just 64.
Kaylor, a one-time former Commonwealth and British Middleweight champion began his pro career in 1980 after representing Great Britain at the Olympic Games in Moscow, finally calling it a day some 11 years later with a record of 40-7-1 from his 48 pro fights.
Although he had been living in California with his American wife and three sons since 1996, Kaylor - who took up boxing in response to being bullied at school - remained deeply proud of his East End roots.
Trained at Terry Lawless' famous Royal Oak pub in Canning Town - which was also responsible for fighters such as Lloyd Honeyghan, Frank Bruno and Kirkland Laing - Kaylor, speaking during a 2007 interview recalled how his family frequently mocked his Cockney accent - which he fiercely protected despite living on the other side of the pond.
"The last thing anyone would accuse me of now is being a tough guy - I’m too handsome!" he laughed. "Even my kids poke fun at my accent!
"But life’s really worked out. I’m very blessed. We live by the Chino hills, which are very beautiful. Compared to London, it’s very safe and the weather’s fantastic. I’m 100% British, really love my Queen and country, and there’s a couple of friends I really miss - but I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to England."
And he never did. But like Benn, football was always a part of Kaylor's life too. "When I lived in London I only followed West Ham but, over here, I root for all the English teams," he admitted.
As for his life inside the ring? "No regrets. Boxing was such a fantastic part of my life," he added. "I just feel so blessed to have done something I loved so much for such a large part of my life."
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