Another tragic death has occurred during a charity boxing match. A participant in the Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB) event on March 25 at Harvey Hadden Sports Village in Nottingham required emergency medical attention after the opening rounds of his bout.
The event was stopped early, and paramedics attended to the boxer before he was rushed to Queen’s Medical Centre, where he later died after his condition “deteriorated.”
This is the second death in a year to hit the UWCB organizers after 26-year-old Dominic Chapman died in the middle of a charity boxing match in April 2022. The police are working with the coroner to establish what happened.
UWCB has been running events for 14 years, and according to their website, they are the largest organizer of white-collar boxing events in the UK, with over 100,000 people stepping through the ropes and boxing at one of their events since the first event in December 2009.
The company describes itself as a “unique opportunity for people with no boxing background to experience the wonderful world of boxing.”
Participants are given eight weeks of free training from professional boxing coaches before taking to the ring. By participating in the event, participants raise funds for Cancer Research UK through sponsorship.
UWCB says they have raised over £25 million for their charity partners, and according to their website, they have organized hundreds of events.
However, the safety of the participants is of paramount importance, and the recent tragedies have raised questions over whether such events should be allowed. Critics argue that charity boxing events are dangerous, and the risks of serious injury or death far outweigh the benefits of raising money for charity.
According to UWCB’s website, they strictly adhere to their rules and regulations to ensure the safety of all participants. They feel that their events offer a “gold standard” in safety and have been verified by doctors, neurosurgeons, and many other professional bodies that have reviewed their practices.
Nonetheless, tragedies like these cannot be ignored, and the safety of the participants must be the top priority. Boxing is a sport that carries risks, and any organization that allows people with no previous experience to take part in such events must ensure that all safety precautions are taken.