Friends and family to remember boxer Lewis (From Sutton Guardian)

Friends and family to remember tragic Wallington boxer Lewis Pinto

10:18am Friday 8th June 2012 in News By Matt Watts

Hundreds of friends and family of Lewis Pinto will release sky lanterns tomorrow night to remember the boxer, who was found dead in Wallington last week.

Lewis Pinto, 24, from the Roundshaw estate, who had his first professional fight in April, was found hanged in Roundshaw Park on Sunday, June 3.

The former bricklayer, a former Thomas More Catholic School pupil in Purley, is believed to have killed himself.

Police are not treating his death as suspicious.

Loved-ones have organised a tribute to the boxer on Saturday night at Roundshaw Airfield.

They will release sky lanterns, with about 300 people expected to attend.

The Windmill pub in Stafford Road, Wallington, are donating the lanterns. It will charge people £5 each, with all the profits going towards Pinto's funeral fund.

His friend, Tony Roberts, has made a DVD of all of his fights and will also be selling these at £10 each to go towards the fund.

They can be bought from the Windmill or at the event on Saturday.

A friend who is organising the event said: "I'm sure the sky will be filled with light for our Lewis."

Friends and family remembered the popular fighter, who was tipped for a successful career in the sport, with tributes also flooding in from the boxing world.

Former world heavyweight champion David Haye and former world light-welterweight champ Amir Khan were among those to pay their respects.

Pinto’s manager, Mickey Helliet, said: "Lewis was a brave, motivated, ambitious and extremely popular boxer.

"He was a gentleman and someone I was very proud to represent as his boxing manager.

"There are not enough Lewis Pintos in this world and he will be greatly missed by myself, my staff and all those who had the pleasure of knowing him.

"A great many people have contacted me to express their condolences and I would like to add mine to these and express them to Lewis’s family."

More than 600 people have joined a Facebook tribute page, with hundreds of people expressing their shock and sadness at his death on Twitter.

A message from his cousin, Daniel Pinto, on sutton guardian.co.uk, said: "You were such an amazing cousin and you did our family proud.

"We are so sad you have gone but you are in a better place now."

A friend, adamp24, wrote: "Still in shock, can’t believe you are gone, what a good friend, such a nice person.

"My thoughts go out to your family and friends at this very sad time."

It is understood Pinto had seemed in good spirits in the days running up to his death.

The fan favourite, who used to compete as an amateur in the Queensbury Boxing League, was looking forward to his second professional fight, at the Coronet Theatre in Elephant and Castle, next month, and was looking for sponsorship from businesses to fund his training programme.

Proceeds from an auction on the night will go towards the costs of his funeral, with any surplus monies being donated to the Samaritans.