Former British and Commonwealth champion Willie Limond has passed away at 45-years-old in hospital following a suspected seizure.
The Scotsman was set to face Joe Laws next month at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow, following his September defeat to multi-weight world champion Ricky Burns last year, losing to Burns in eight rounds.
Limond vowed to continue his career following, changing his diet and lifestyle in anticipation of facing Laws in Glasgow. Limond had been scheduled to appear at a public workout on April 6 at the St Enoch Centre but was discovered by police while unresponsive and slumped in his car.
Emergency services rushed Limond to University Hospital Monklands in Airdrie, where he remained till his passing.
Limond enjoyed a stellar 48-fight career, with 42 victories against six defeats.
St Andrews Sporting Club, which has promoted Limond since 2019, confirmed that the former champion had passed away and said their thoughts were with the Limond family in a brief statement.
“Everyone at St Andrew’s Sporting Club are shocked and deeply saddened at the loss of our friend, Willie Limond.
“Willie was not only a legend of the sport, but an infectious character who will be greatly missed by us all.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jake, Drew, Macy and the rest of the Limond family at this time.”
In his long-established career, Limond faced the likes of Alex Arthur, Erik Morales, Amir Khan, Anthony Crolla and the previously mentioned Burns.
Social media has been filled with tributes to Limond, with former opponents Alex Arthur and Curtis Woodhouse leading the tributes.
Arthur and Limond were no strangers to each other on the Scottish amateur and professional boxing circuit. They fought in 2004, with Arthur successfully defending his British super featherweight title against Limond at the Braehead Arena in Glasgow.
“I met this funny hyper Glaswegian lad when I was 13-years-old,” Arthur posted on X. “When I saw him box, I was blown away at how good he was. We went on to become very good friends and, of course, ended up fighting each other! It only made us closer friends! Love you, Willie, ma man.”
Former British super lightweight champion Woodhouse faced Limond in June 2014. Limond was seeking to add Woodhouse’s British title alongside his Commonwealth title, which the Scotsman had claimed the previous year against Eddie Doyle.
Despite losing a majority decision to Limond, Woodhouse paid tribute to Limond, who had become close to Glasweigian following their 2014 contest.
“Absolutely devastated to hear the news of the passing of Willie Limond,” Woodhouse posted on social media. “A great fighter and a great man. We stayed in touch after our fight and always had a laugh together. Absolutely gutted. Rest In Peace champ.”