The Argentine boxing world is in turmoil following the tragic news of the passing of Gustavo “Pileta” Gomez Maidana, cousin of former junior welterweight titlist Marcos “Chino” Maidana and one of the closest associates in his promotional outfit.

According to sources to The Ring who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the subject, Gomez Maidana was found dead by a self-inflicted gunshot. His mother made the grisly and heartbreaking discovery earlier today.

Matchmaker, co-promoter and right-hand man to his beloved friend and relative, Gomez Maidana was an essential part of Chino Maidana Promotions, and was in charge of anything from recruiting and scouting new talents to handling most of the negotiations for the company’s roster of notable young prospects.

He was instrumental in the rise of current junior bantamweight champion Fernando “Puma” Martinez, among others.

A press conference scheduled for Saturday and destined to promote Martinez’s megabout against Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez as part of the Ring IV event on Nov. 22 had to be postponed indefinitely due to the unfolding tragedy.

It was another cousin, Fabian “TNT” Maidana, currently an active fighter in his own right but estranged from his brother Marcos, who broke the news on social media.

“Rest in peace, cousin. I don’t know what was going through your head. Stay strong, family” were Fabian’s words.

Nicknamed “Pileta” (or “swimming pool” in Spanish) due to his funny dives between the goalposts as a soccer goalkeeper in his youth, Maidana was known for his imposing physical appearance (later trimmed down dramatically through a surgical procedure), his extravagant personality, his numerous gold chains and accessories, and a number of tattoos including several facial ones. The words “San Jorge” (Saint George) could be read above his left eyebrow, and he regularly posted messages of gratitude to the saint on his social media accounts.

He described himself in his social media profiles with a sentence that read “I am in boxing before I was even born, I was next to the best champions that our country ever had, but nothing tops being next to my cousin Marcos ‘Chino’ Maidana. Now we are part of Chino Maidana Promotions, and we’re going for more.”

Gomez Maidana is survived by a son and both of his parents.