Nathaniel Gallimore’s next fight takes mere hours after Patrick Day was laid to rest, another kind soul whose memory he will choose to carry into the ring.

Day was laid to rest on Saturday in his Long Island (New York) home region, having passed away on Oct. 16. His death came four days after his 10th round knockout loss to Charles Conwell in their Oct. 12 DAZN-streamed bout in Chicago, Illinois. The event took place less than 20 minutes from the Garfield Park Gym where Gallimore for years trained, a facility which carries a mural dedicated to the memory of more than 20 boxers whose lives were tragically taken far too soon.

Among that group was Gallimore’s former stablemate, Ed Brown—an unbeaten prospect whose life was senselessly taken after suffering multiple gun shot wounds in a Dec. 2016 shooting in his hometown.

“I still think about Ed Brown every day,” Gallimore (21-3-1, 17KOs) told BoxingScene.com ahead of his 12-round junior middleweight clash versus Erickson Lubin (Saturday, SHOWTIME, 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT). “I carry his memory every time I step foot into the ring.

“It was terrible to hear about Patrick Day, everyone who knew him spoke about how he was genuine. It happened in my city, my heart goes out to him and his loved ones. I will fight in his honor, the same I do with Ed every time.”

Gallimore moved from Jamaica as a pre-teen, having been raised by his grandparents upon relocating to Chicago. Along the way, he lost his grandfather and role model, George Gallimore who never had the honor of seeing his grandson turn pro.

“It’s important to me,” Gallimore said of holding onto the memories of those he’s lost along the way. “My grandfather, he would have been so proud of me. He never had a chance to see me (as a pro boxer).

“That’s a legacy I fight for and for all that Ed Brown (20-0, 16KOs) was supposed to accomplish in the pros. I think about him all the time, and (Day's untimely) passing is another reminder of how sudden it can all end.” 

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox