Najai Turpin
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| Najai Turpin | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Profile | ||
| Born | 19th December, 1981 | |
| Birthplace | Philadelphia, USA | |
| Nationality | American | |
| Died | 13th February, 2005 | |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | |
| Nickname | Nitro | |
| Classification | Light/Middleweight | |
| Boxing Record | ||
| Fights | 13 | |
| Wins (KOs) | 11 (8) | |
| Losses | 2 | |
| Draws | 0 | |
| Contender Results | ||
| First Round | Lost to Mora on points | |
Najai Turpin (December 19, 1981 – February 14, 2005) was a professional boxer born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
He was a contestant on reality TV show The Contender. On the show, he was placed on the East Coast team and pitted himself against Sergio Mora, a man seven inches taller than him, in the first round. Mora would go on to become The Contender.
He committed suicide on February 14th, 2005, while sitting in a car with his girlfriend. The motive for his suicide is not entirely clear, however the fact that he hadn't been allowed to fight between the time of being eliminated and the show's finale, teamed with the low self-esteem that may have resulted from his defeat may have contributed.
Turpin was the first American reality show contestant to take his own life, but there have been examples elsewhere in the world. In 1997, Sinisa Savija, the first person voted off the island on Expedition Robinson (the Swedish version of Survivor) killed himself immediately after he was voted off. Najai Turpin's initials were inprinted on Ishe Oluwa Ali Smith's shorts during a match. Sergio Mora thanked him for getting the chance to win a million dollars.
