Lost Great Warrior (The Contender's Najai Turpin)
Birthplace: Philadelphia, PA
Date of Death: 2-14-2005
Cause of Death: Suicide
Najai Turpin, a contestant on the new NBC reality show, "The Contender," committed suicide on Feb. 14. He was 23.
The Philadelphia native was an aspiring middleweight boxer known as Nitro. Described in his show bio as soft spoken and polite, Turpin cared for his younger brother, sister, niece and nephew after his mother died in 2000. At 5 feet 5 inches and 151 lbs., Turpin had a career record of 13 wins, 1 loss and 9 knockouts.
Before landing a spot on the new TV series, Turpin did construction work in the mornings and toiled at a Philadelphia restaurant in the evenings. Early Monday, he shot himself in the head with a small caliber semiautomatic weapon while sitting in a parked car outside the gym where he trained. His girlfriend, Angela Chapple, had just exited the vehicle when he took his own life. Turpin left no suicide note.
In the week before his death, Turpin twice left a boxing camp because he couldn't focus on his training. Although Chapple has declined all interview requirests, she put out a statement that said the couple had "more love than issues." Turpin is survived by his 2-year-old daughter, Anyae.
"The Contender" is a 13-episode series that follows the personal and professional lives of 16 boxers vying for a $1 million prize. Network executives said Turpin's untimely death will not delay the show's debut on March 7 or alter its ending. All of the show's bouts have already been taped, except for its live championship, which will take place in May.
Quote:
More than one month after Contender boxer Najai Turpin committed suicide in his hometown of Philadelphia, the fighters he befriended while filming "The Contender" are still in shock that he took his own life.
“I'm still surprised,” Ishe Smith told me in an interview Wednesday. “To this day, I still haven't let it rest in my soul that he killed himself. I'm still confused. I still think somebody killed him... I mean, he was a quiet guy. I know he didn't befriend a lot of people. But he talked a lot to me and I was very close to him so it's very shocking.”
Ishe said Najia’s motivation for living was his daughter. "He loved his daughter and he loved life," Ishe said. "He was doing everything for his daughter. I mean to me, I was upset with him like 'Why did you kill yourself?'"
But Ahmed Kaddour, who was Najai's roommate during the filming of the show, says he suspected that something wasn't right with Najai.
"When he was there, he would sleep in the closet," Kaddour said. "Other times, when I would wake up in the middle of the night to get something to drink, he was sleeping in the kitchen. That guy was funny. On the show everybody got to know him, but I was probably the one who got to know him best. We talked together sometimes in the night. He wasn't normal. I don't know."
Boxer Peter Manfredo says Sunday’s episode of the Contender -- which showed Manfredo getting a second chance to compete on the show after being eliminated on the first episode -- was a bitter-sweet hour to watch. The episode may have marked his own return to the competition, but it also dealt with Najai’s death.
"I lost a friend," Manfredo said.
“I really couldn't believe it when I heard. [One of the boxers on the show called me]. He usually finds out all of the information before us. He called me and he said 'Did you hear what happened?' He said 'Najai killed himself.' I said ‘What?’ I couldn't believe it. My phone almost dropped. I couldn't believe that he would kill himself. He was such a talented fighter. He was a good kid. He wouldn't say anything bad about anybody. I just didn't want to believe it."
Peter revealed that most of the fighters attended Najai’s funeral in Pennsylvania.
"It was sad. You see him in the coffin, open casket. It was just an extremely sad day. It was a loss for not just his family but for the boxing world, because the kid was a great boxer."
Quote: from sengo.com post by 1PSP Guy
Biography:
Born and raised in a tough neighborhood in Philadelphia, Najai came from humble beginnings. From an early age, the soft spoken Najai saw boxing as an alternative to poverty and hardship. By becoming a successful boxing champion, Najai hoped he could provide a better life for himself, his family and especially his pride and joy, daughter Anyae.
At the young age of eighteen, Najai suddenly became the man of the house, when his mother passed away. He then had the additional responsibility of taking care of his younger siblings. In order to provide for his family, he not only juggled several jobs at once but with fierce determination, also managed to squeeze in time to train at his neighborhood gym.
The means streets of his Philly neighborhood had recently dealt Najai another obsticale when he was carjacked at gunpoint and robbed of several hundred dollars in cash. Frustrated and thinking of revenge, he suddenly had a change of heart when the acceptance package from The Contender arrived at his door. Seeing his participation in the show as an opportunity to prove himself, Najai strongly believed it was a sign from God and "He was letting me know he had my back the whole time."
Against what seemed like insurmountable odds, Najai persevered and at the age of 23, had risen to prominence as a promising young fighter with a 13-1-0 record, that included 9 knock outs. Often called the "total package" he was respected by his pears for his dignity, his dedication to his family and his deep passion for the sport of boxing.
Off Topic:
The COnTeNDeR-Season 1
