Early Wednesday morning, a bullet beat an uppercut when Montell "Telly" Pridgett was killed in west Baltimore after being shot.
Pridgett, 24, had recently started attending training sessions at the Upton Boxing Center with longtime coach Calvin Ford.
Pridgett was shot in the 1500 block of Pennsylvania Ave. at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Police responded, but found no victim. Pridgett was taken to an emergency room suffering a gunshot wound to his torso.
He died a short time later.
Police believe Pridgett was fighting with someone before he was shot.
Fighting outside of the boxing ring was out of Pridgett's character, said Ford.
"Telly doesn't bother anybody," Ford said. "He minds his business."
Ford said Telly had recently become close with newly crowned IBF junior lightweight champion and Baltimore native Gervontaa "Tank" Davis, and was on the verge of living out his dreams.
"He was going to turn pro. That was his plan. Tank was taking him under his arm to coach him through it," said Ford.
Davis took to Twitter to share his grief.
"All I wanted for him to do good for his self [sic]...I wake up from a call saying my friend got killed...RIP"
Marvin McDowell, coach at the Umar Boxing Program on W. North Ave was mourning the loss of someone he considered a son.
"His talent was unlimited," McDowell said in between a sparring session. "All he needed to do was keep giving himself a chance."
Police have not identified a suspect in Pridgett's murder.
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