BOXING announcer David Diamante has been critically injured in a horror motorcycle crash.
The 50-year-old has been left with three spinal fractures and ‘learning to walk again’ after being involved in an accident on Third Avenue in Brooklyn.
In addition to his back injuries, Diamante also suffered multiple broken ribs and damage to his right knee.
He was immediately rushed to NYU Langone Health for urgent treatment.
Diamante underwent five hours of surgery after his admission, having nine screws, multiple rods, and cadaver parts placed in his spine.
Despite the nature of his injuries, Diamante remains in a ‘positive’ state of mind.
He told BoxingScene: “”It’s going to be a tough road.
“It’s a bad injury and getting better will take some time. This will be a struggle.
“I’ll have to learn to walk again, and right now there’s a risk of complications.
“But I have a positive attitude and will be back as soon as possible.”
Diamante has worked on numerous boxing events over the past 15 years, in addition to MMA and Muy Thai.
In 2018 he signed a deal with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom to announce events on DAZN and Sky Sports.
Diamante’s catchphrase is ‘the fight starts now’.
He is also well known to basketball fans in the US, having been the ring announcer for the Brooklyn Nets for six seasons.
The dreadlocked star announced the 2016 All-Star game.
Diamante has featured in a number of feature-length films, including Southpaw starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Naomie Harris, 50 Cent and Rachel McAdams.
