A one-time heavyweight boxing champion died Monday of brain injuries that he suffered in a fight eight years ago. Greg Page, 50, was found by his wife in bed at their Kentucky home after living with partial paralysis ever since he was knocked out by Dale Crowe on March 9, 2001.

 Page lay in a coma for almost a week after the fight, later suffering a stroke during surgery.

 He won a $1.2 million settlement just two years ago after suing Kentucky boxing officials over the lack of adequate medical personnel at the fight. Page never got up from the 10th-round knockout.

 A one-time WBA champion, he rose quickly through the ranks of the same Louisville boxing scene that produced heavyweight legend Muhammad Ali.

 By age 15, Page had earned a spot as one of Ali's sparring partners. After a series of wins and losses in his professional career, Page reportedly took the fight against Crowe for $1,200.

 His lawsuit after the bout also led Kentucky boxing honchos to establish a review panel that determines fighters' risk for injury before they step into the ring.