'They took the wrong life:' Gym hosts match to pay tribute to slain Baltimore professional boxer
BALTIMORE - The boxing community in Baltimore continues to mourn the death of professional boxer Ernest Hall who was killed in a mass shooting in West Baltimore last week.
His former coach, Jake Smith, owner of Baltimore Boxing and Fitness, put together a boxing match in Westminster on Sunday in Hall's memory.
"I had to do something," Smith said. "I loved the kid so I had to do something."
Hall, a 33-year-old junior featherweight boxer, was one of six people shot in the 2800 block of Edmondson Avenue in West Baltimore last Thursday.
A 15-year-old boy, a 24-year-old man, a 21-year-old man, an 18-year-old man and a 22-year-old man were also shot. The 24-year-old victim was hospitalized in critical condition, while the others were listed in stable condition.
Hall's family told WJZ Hall's passions were boxing and giving back to the community.
Those who attended Smith's tribute match could donate to Hall's family.
Hall leaves behind three children.
One of them, his daughter Nizyah, attended the event with her mom.
"He really loved it," Nizyah Hall said. "I just know it's something that he really loved."
Hall was known for his boxing skills and for owning Lightning Quick Fit gym in Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood.
He was a well-known a highly respected boxer in Baltimore.
He used it and his talent in the ring to inspire others in the city.
"A lot of people came to him in a dark place and he was, kind of, the light that they needed," Nizyah's mother Jewel Johnson said.
Hall's loved ones want justice for him.
They also want the community to know how much he loved what he did and how much he'll be missed.
"They took the wrong life. God must have really needed him up there," Smith said.
A vigil will be held for hall at his gym on Tuesday night.
His family said they will keep the gym up and running for him and they want to begin a trust fund for his kids.
