Practically until the end of his life, Les Bonano was engaged in his passion for boxing. Just days before he died Sunday at age 79, Bonano completed negotiations with Don King for Jonathan Guidry of Dulac to fight for the NABF heavyweight championship on June 11 in Miami.

“I’m not doing too good, but we were able to make the deal because King likes talking to me,” Bonano said last week. It was the way Bonano wanted it. “His doctor kept asking him why didn’t he just relax and retire,” Kaitlyn Redondo said of her grandfather, who suffered from kidney problems for the past year that had him in and out of the hospital. “But he wouldn’t give it up.