Rewind: The death that helped change boxing forever

It is 35 years ago today that Johnny Owen had his fateful last fight - a 12th round knockout defeat to Lupe Pintor on September 19, 1980.

The Welshman was stopped after bravely resisting Pintor's punches until the 12th of 15 rounds of the WBC world bantamweight title fight at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Owen paid the ultimate price for his courage - he died from the brain injury he suffered in the ring just two months later.

European and British champion Owen was too brave for his own good and refused to succumb until he was sickeningly separated from his senses in the 12th round.

Owen bored in during the early rounds but by the fifth round the heavier hitting Mexican - roared on by a partisan crowd in LA - had taken control.

Owen was floored in the ninth and 12th rounds before being finally flattened by a ferocious right that left him unconscious before he hit the floor. After brain surgery to remove a blood clot, Owen could not be saved and died on November 4. He was 24.

At the post-mortem, it was revealed that Owen had been born with an abnormally thin skull and thick jaw.

Journalist Hugh McIlvanney wrote about the shy Owen, who was known as the 'Merthyr Matchstick' due to his lanky frame: "It is his tragedy that he found himself articulate in such a dangerous language".

It was Pintor's third defence after winning the belt from fellow Mexican Carlos Zarate in a disputed decision and he made five further defences. He later won the world title at super-bantamweight and was never blamed for Owen's death by the Welsh boxer's family.

At the request of the Owen's family, Pintor unveiled a bronze statue of Owen in Merthyr Tydfil in 2002.

Owen won 25, drew one and lost two in his professional career and the fight with Pintor was the first time he had been acquainted with the canvas.

Following the deaths of Owen, South Korean Deuk-Koo Kim and Mexico's Kiko Bejines in world title fights in the early eighties, bouts were reduced from 15 to 12 rounds and eventually compulsory brain scans were introduced.