Dazed and groggy following an 11th-round knock down, boxer David "Davey" Browne tells his support crew he's "all right" to contest the final round against his Filipino opponent Carlo Magali.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"Dynamite Davey" knows if he gets through the last three minutes, he's almost certain to be declared the winner on points.
Minutes later, the 28-year-old is felled by Magali. Dragged onto a stool, Browne falls to the canvass and slips into unconsciousness, never to recover.
Hours later in Liverpool Hospital, his distraught wife Amy Levelle Browne, his father and sometime trainer David Browne snr, and mother Debra Browne make the heart-breaking decision to switch off his life support.
To compound their pain, he hangs on for a few more days before he is pronounced dead.
An inquest into his death at the Coroner's Court in Glebe on Wednesday was shown footage of the International Boxing Federation Pan Pacific Super Featherweight title fight on September 11, 2015.
The inquest heard that neurologist Professor Brian Owler will give evidence that the cause of death was a massive subdural haematoma, or bleeding on the brain, caused by the final blow to the head that ended the fight.
Whether the bout should have been called off earlier - either in the 11th round when Browne fell against the ropes as the bell rang or in the sixth round, when he was first knocked down - is being examined by Deputy State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan.
During her opening address, counsel assisting the coroner Kristina Stern, SC, said Mr Browne snr, himself a former boxer, will describe his son appearing "as drunk as a skunk" following the brutal 11th round.
His wife will say Browne looked "like a rag doll" and his mother-in-law Heather Lavelle, an intensive care nurse, will give evidence that he was "groggy, debilitated and barely able to defend himself".
But none of those present who could have called off the fight - including referee Charlie Lewis, ringside doctor Lawrence Noonan, trainer Todd Makelim or the two combat sport inspectors present - did so.
One of the inspectors will say he didn't believe the fight should have been stopped because he thought Browne had "recovered enough" in the minute's break between the penultimate and final rounds.
Mr Makelim will say he had "concerns" about Browne's health and twice asked him if he wanted to stop, but Browne said "no".
He will tell the inquest he would have been considered "the worst prick in the world" had he ended the fight, causing Magali to be declared the winner, when there was nothing seriously wrong with Browne.
The actions of many of those involved in the fight, including Dr Noonan's assessment of Browne's fitness to continue as the bout went on, will be examined during the inquest.
Giving evidence Mr Browne said: "The referees definitely should have stopped the fight."
He said he felt a lot of bitterness. "I just believe if everyone was doing their duty right - duty of care must take place - and there was none of that."
Ms Stern said 26 minutes elapsed between the fatal blow and the ability of paramedics to get to Browne inside the Ingleburn RSL Club.
However, Dr Owler will tell the court the rapidity of Browne's decline indicates no medical intervention would have prevented his death.
The inquest will examine the conflicts between the various legislation, regulations and rules covering combat sports in various states of Australia and internationally. The apparent confusion surrounding who has the power to end a fight will also be looked at.
The Office of Sport made a number of changes to the laws governing combat sports in NSW following Browne's death, including enshrining the power of trainers to "throw in the towel" if they believe a boxer is too exhausted or unable to defend himself.
The inquest will also look at Browne's pre-fight weight-loss regime, in which he lost eight kilograms in the three weeks leading up to the bout to achieve a fighting weight of 58.9 kilograms.
Mrs Browne said she could tell her son was "unwell" before the start of the fight.
"I asked if he was feeling unwell and hungry and he said, 'Yes mum.' He had to lose a lot of weight."
She said she called out "stop the fight" several times during the bout but "I got no response from anybody".
Browne came from a family of boxers and had turned professional at the age of 18 in 2004 following a successful career as a junior boxer. His record stood at 22 wins, one draw and one loss.
He married in 2013 and had two children, Rocklyn and Flynn.
The inquest continues.
