DIG DEEP IN THE NAME OF SCOTT
Time to invest millions on safety
WHEN the news broke about Scott Westgarth’s death on Monday, gyms around the country would have been full.
And tonight the punches won’t stop, with shows taking place in eight different venues across the United Kingdom.
The 10 bells will be sounded first to remember Westgarth, who died less than 48 hours after beating Dec Spelman on points, then it will be business as usual.
Scribbling
The truth is that boxing is an addictive sport – one that brings dangers but also one that many cannot walk away from, even though they are aware of the risks.
From the fighters themselves, the coaches in the corners, the journalists scribbling notes ringside and the fans in the stands singing. We all love it.
On a dark day like Monday, when the news came of the third death in the sport in the last five years, you question why you adore this often dirty, nasty, horrible fight game.
You think of Westgarth, you think of Mike Towell and you think of Michael Nosgrove and wonder: Is it all worth it? But there is no doubt that this sport brings more good than bad and it saves far more lives than it takes.
It also provides moments of joy and can reward those from the poorest of backgrounds with untold riches.
That will be little comfort to the grieving Westgarth family.
They need to know that Scott, Mike and Michael have not died in vain.
Professional boxing will never be fully safe, but it can be safer.
Improvements can come with more research into brain injuries, more scans for fighters, whether through MRIs or the introduction of handheld scanners ringside, or by allowing doctors to stop fights. One thing the British Boxing Board of Control should do is to allow isotonic drinks to be provided during fights to help combat dehydration. But it shouldn’t stop there. More research needs to be conducted into CTE (degenerative brain disease), more after-care provided and boxers must be better educated on the damage punches can cause. Promoters and top fighters are making millions from the sport. Now they have a responsibility to fund increased safety. Those who believe the sport should be abolished were out in force this week, while those defending it argued other sports had more fatalities. This is not a time for mudslinging, it’s a time to probe how more tragedies like Scott Westgarth can be averted.