Third party to review fatal boxing match
Edmonton deputy city manager Rob Smyth: “Was this just a tragic event or are there lessons we can learn?”
MMA veteran and occasional professional boxer Tim Hague died on Sunday, following a boxing match vs. Adam Braidwood on Friday in Edmonton, Alberta. The contest was regulated by the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission, a municipal athletic commission.
Questions were raised about the suitability of the contest, given that Braidwood was 8-1 in boxing and Hague was 1-2. Further, Hague was 1-6 in boxing and MMA combined in the last 2 years, with 5 T/KOs.
ECSC Executive Director Pat Reid spoke with CTV Edmonton reporter Diego Romero, and said that a review was underway.
As part of Edmonton Combative Sports Commission combative sports protocol, a post-fight official review is conducted immediately after each competition,” explained Reid. “Following the news that boxer Tim Hague is in critical condition following a professional boxing match on Friday, June 16, 2017, we have extended the request for reports to all referees, ringside judges, physicians, chief inspector, paymaster and the presiding inspectors assigned to the bout. We will determine the next steps following the evaluation of these reports.
Emily Mertz for Canada’s Global News spoke with Edmonton deputy city manager Rob Smyth, and reports that there will be a third party review as well. The ECSC is overseen by the city of Edmonton.
We are deeply saddened by this tragedy and wish to express our deepest condolences to Tim’s family and friends and the many students he taught, saidSmyth.
We want to retain — we don’t know who or how yet — a third party to do a comprehensive review and our thinking is… that review will have to get information from all of the different individuals who were part of organizing the event.
We want to understand what happened and determine if there’s anything we need to do better. We want to make sure our policies and procedures are responsive to the community and making sure these events are absolutely as safe as they can be.
Was this just a tragic event or are there lessons we can learn?
Smyth said there was no timeline for the review and that it would take as long as required.
A GoFundMe has been established to help cover funeral costs and other expenses. Burke is pictured with his nine-year-old son Brady.