The uncle of former WWE star Saraya “Paige” Bevis has passed away during a charity boxing match in the United Kingdom.
On Sunday, October 2, medics were called to the World Association of Wrestling (WAW) Performance Centre in Norfolk, owned by Ricky Knight — whose family, including daughter Saraya, were the subjects of the 2019 film “Fighting with My Family.”
The facility was hosting a charity boxing event, which saw 30 individuals compete to raise money for a local four-year-old girl with cancer. Kayla Buttle suffers from neuroblastoma cancer, and her family are hoping to raise $185,000 to fund a trip to the United States for possible life-saving treatment.
Among those helping the cause was 56-year-old Jules Bevis, who ran a well-followed Twitter account dedicated to Tottenham Hotspur football club and was a class 1 HGV driver and limousine and executive car wedding chauffeur.
But during his match, tragedy struck. Norfolk Police later confirmed that they were called to a report of a “sudden death after a man in his 50s had become unwell” during his match. Despite the arrival of an ambulance, Bevis was confirmed to have died at the scene, with a police spokesperson branding the death “unexplained.”
Saraya Bevis Leads Tributes Following Boxing Tragedy
Saraya Bevis, who competed under the ring name “Paige” during her time in WWE and has recently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), took to her Twitter account to share the distressing news.
After describing the heartbreaking death, which saw Jules pass away in in the arms of her brother Roy Bevis, the British pro-wrestling star labeled her uncle “a wonderful human” who had a “heart of gold.”
“Keep thinking about my uncle. What a wonderful human he was. Up until the end he had a heart of gold. He was doing a charity boxing match at my dads wrestling PC raising money for a little girl for her cancer treatments. In the ring he collapsed & past in my brother Roy’s arms,” she wrote.
In another post, the current AEW athlete shared an image of the scene outside her father’s gym in Norwich. She thanked all those who have laid flowers and tributes to the late Jules Bevis.
“Man thank you everyone that is turning up to my dads gym and leaving flowers and notes. Uncle Jules was loved by many and although tragic it’s beautiful to see everyone come and pay their respects to man who died doing what he loved. Love you Jules”
A number of others also addressed the news on Twitter, including Former WBC heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno.
“Afternoon just heard some terrible new a Gentleman called Jules Tottenham Bevis a Norwich boxing legend was on a charity boxing event raising money for Four year old Norwich girl Kayla Buttle who has Neuroblastoma Cancer sadly passed away while helping to raise money RIP Jules,” Bruno wrote.
Bevis’ brother, and father of Saraya, posted an emotional video on Facebook following Sunday’s incident. After admitting that the family is still in shock at Jules’ passing, Ricky Knight insisted that boxing had nothing to do with his sibling’s death.
“Believe me, the whole show was about sparring sessions between ex-boxers to raise money for a little girl… who needs help with cancer,” Knight said. “And all the ex-boxers came out of retirement just to put on a show,” he said. “There were no big punches, nothing.
“It was my brother’s time. He collapsed… and as far as I was concerned, he was gone when he hit the floor,” Knight added. (h/t BBC)
Bevis is said to have formerly boxed and coached in Norwich, including with names like heavyweight Herbie Hide. He was one of many former boxers who returned to the ring for the admirable cause at Sunday’s event, which took place in front of 700 spectators.