THERE were questions left unanswered after an inquest into the death of a champion boxer, according to a coroner.

But after a hearing in Ruthin on Wednesday, Kate Robertson, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, said she was satisfied that bare-knuckle fighter Christopher Wheeldon intended to kill himself.

The 41-year-old was found hanged in woodland off Trinity Crescent, at Llandudno’s West Shore, on July 8.

A tent containing empty empty bottles was nearby.

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The body was discovered by a local resident, Jane Parry, while out walking with her daughter and she told police that she hadn’t noticed the tent the previous evening.

Pathologist Dr Mark Atkinson gave the cause of death as hanging, and toxicology tests showed he had consumed a small amount of alcohol and some cocaine at some stage.

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Mr Wheeldon, a railway worker, of Hetherington Avenue, Warrington, was the current British cruiserweight bare-knuckle boxer, and after his death followers of the sport described him as “a legend”.

His father, Brian Wheeldon, told the inquest that his son had suffered from depression at times and going to the gym helped him with his mental health problems.

Chris’s son Tommy said he last spoke to him on June 30 when he seemed his normal self and that he sometimes went camping and fishing on his own.

Asked by the coroner whether his son had a particular link with Llandudno, Brian Wheeldon said he didn’t but that he sometimes stayed at the family’s caravan in Towyn.

Recording a conclusion of suicide, Ms Robertson said that although there had been no indication that he intended to take his own life the circumstances were enough for her to reach such a conclusion.

She said it was impossible to know when exactly he had died.

She told members of the family: “I am sure there are many unanswered questions which remain with you.”

Among the many tributes on social media after his death was one which stated: “Chris made a name for himself with hard work, dedication and unmatched skill in the ring”.

Another said that “he was a respected and talented boxer, but more than that he was a kind-hearted person who made a significant impact on those around him”.