Michael Norgrove on Saturday joined the list of boxers who have given their lives in the ring, nine days after collapsing in a fight he was winning on a small-hall show in London.

Norgrove, a 31-year-old light-middleweight from Woodford Green, was unbeaten going into his sixth professional bout, a scheduled six-rounder against the eight-fight novice Tom Bowen, on the first promotion at the historic Ring venue in Blackfriars for 73 years.

Norgrove had Bowen down in the first round and took no noticeable punishment himself. However, the referee, Jeff Hinds, stopped the contest in the fifth round when he noticed unusual behaviour in Norgrove, who then collapsed, was treated at ringside and rushed to hospital, where he was found to have a blood clot on his brain.

The boxer Phil Gill was at the fight and wrote on the BoxRec.com forum the following day: "It was a horrible thing to see happen. He hadn't taken a single big shot so [it] makes you wonder where the damage was done … the oxygen and [doctors] were in there within seconds."

Norgrove was born in Kabwe, formerly known as Broken Hill, in Zambia, 31 years ago, the son of a British expatriate working on the Zambian railways. When Michael was seven, the family fled the country because of political unrest, moving first to Australia then Manchester, where his father was born.

Norgrove came late to boxing, through white collar shows, and boxed with distinction as an amateur for the London club Repton. He said in an interview three years ago he wanted to make the most of his time in the sport.

Norgrove's promoter, Steve Goodwin, described him as "a kind and warm human being, a very talented boxer".

His friend and trainer Ben Doughty wrote on Facebook: "When such a talented, charismatic, good-natured individual is taken from us, that old maxim, 'Only the good die young,' has never seemed so resonant."