and Owen's corner men were shoved and pushed as they attempted to aid their fighter. Ken Bryant, a member of Owen's team, had his wallet pickpocketed from his coat as he attended to the stricken fighter. Owen was loaded onto a stretcher and carried out of the arena before being taken to California Hospital Medical Center. He was taken into surgery, where doctors removed a blood clot from his brain after a three-hour operation. The BBC regarded the knockout as so disturbing that it cancelled its replay broadcast of the fight in the UK and instead aired an edited highlights segment. Death The hospital where Owen was treated received more than 100 calls and telegrams from well-wishers within the first 24 hours after the fight. Owen's mother arrived in the United States a day later. The neurosurgeon in charge of Owen revealed how they had discovered that Owen possessed both an unusually delicate skull and a strong jaw. As a result, Pintor's punch had inadvertently pushed Owen's jawbone through his skull and into his brain, causing irreparable damage. Owen underwent a second operation soon after to relieve pressure on his brain but soon contracted pneumonia. Once this had cleared, a third surgery was required but Owen remained unconscious. Although his doctor believed his condition was improving, a second bout of pneumonia on 4 November ultimately ended his life at 24 years old with his parents by his bedside. Owen's body was returned to Wales where he was held in Merthyr Parish Church. The coffin was kept in a public area and thousands of visitors attended the church to pay tribute to Owen. His funeral ceremony was held at High Street Baptist Church. The church held around 1,000 people while around 4,000 waited outside where the ceremony was broadcast through loudspeakers. He was buried in Pant Cemetery in Merthyr on 11 November. Hundreds of floral tributes were sent on the day, including from Muhammad Ali and singer Tom Jones. The Secretary of State for Wales, Nicholas Edwards, sent a telegram to Owen's family in which he proclaimed "All Wales is saddened to hear of Johnny Owen's death". The Times reported that the entire town of Merthyr "closed" on the day of his funeral. Pintor was devastated by the death of Owen and contemplated retiring from boxing. The Owens family held no malice towards Pintor and absolved him of any blame for