Overview
- Local clubs Ledley Hall and Bangor Abbey publicly announced Close's death and described him as a 'true gentleman' who inspired young boxers.
- Close is best remembered for two tight world-title fights with Chris Eubank, a judges' draw in Glasgow and a narrow split-decision loss in Belfast.
- He won the EBU super-middleweight title in March 1993 and finished his professional career with a record reported as 25 wins, three losses and one draw.
- The British Boxing Board of Control revoked Close's UK licence after an MRI found two brain lesions, which cancelled a planned third fight with Eubank; he later secured an Illinois licence and recorded five wins there, including a 1997 knockout of Larry Willis.
- Close's death has refocused attention on his local legacy in Northern Ireland and on how medical screening and regulatory decisions can change a fighter's career path.