A former heavyweight boxing champ who was defeated by Larry Holmes has died in a construction accident.
David Bey, 60, of Philadelphia, was struck by a piece of metal and killed while working on a mixed-use real estate development project in New Jersey on Thursday, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
A representative from his union said Bey was a second-generation pile driver who had worked 37 years in the trade.
"David was a gentleman at all times. He didn't have a mean bone in his body. He was a devout man of God and regularly would listen to scriptures on the radio," said Tony Bianchini, the union's communications director.
Nicknamed Hand Grenade, Bey started boxing in the US Army. He made his professional boxing debut in 1981 and he went on to defeat Greg Page in 1984 for the United States Boxing Association's heavyweight championship.
He was beaten by a technical knockout after going ten rounds with Holmes for the International Boxing Federation title in 1985.
Bey left the ring in 1994.
"David was inducted into the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame this year surrounded by his union brothers," Bianchini said.
OSHA is investigating the accident.
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