Boxer Andy Ganigan, a former world champion and member of the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame, died today
in Las Vegas, according to his niece, Michelle Shue. Ganigan's death
comes two years after an assault in his hometown of Waipahu left him
severely debilitated. He was 59.
"Since the assault his body
can't fight off diseases. He never recovered," Shue said in a telephone
interview with the Star-Advertiser. "His body basically just shut down
after two years of fighting." She said Ganigan died with family members
by his side.
Ganigan was a boxing sensation
in the 1970s and 80s, with a 34-5 record, including 30 knockouts and a
lightweight division championship. He was named to Ring Magazines' list
of "100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time" in 2003, 20 years after he
retired.
But the last two years of his
life were spent as a near-invalid after an apparently drunken and
unprovoked attack on March 26, 2010.
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