WA weighs a bare boxing match possible

The WA Combat Sports Commission says it has received a provisional request to hold a bare knuckle fight in Perth, which is planned for July.

The committee, part of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Creative Industries, is responsible for the regulation of all so -called combat sports, including boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts.

Chairman of the Commission, former Wa Minister of Health Bob Kucera, told Nadia Mitsopoulos on ABC Radio Perth that the committee first received an application for bare knuckle that was approved about six months ago as a contact sport.

He said that the committee subsequently developed a series of rules, fighting promotors.

“In combination with … the combat sport industry, we have compiled a number of rules that went to the previous one [sports] Minister, Minister Templeman, for approval, “he said.

“They are approved.

He said that permits had to comply with this specific series of rules.

“The rules here are very different from the other [combat] Sport because in this specific discipline … they have no filling in their hands, “he said.

“And the only strikes that are allowed are with the hands.

The committee received its first application, of which Mr Kucera said it would be investigated.

He said that a series of rules would apply if the application would be approved.

They include demand that participants fight for at least seven years and have 10 professional attacks behind them.

Two doctors must be present on the ring and if a boxer is taken down, the game must stop.

He said that boxers should also have serology tests to ensure that they had no illnesses transferred by blood and that they should receive approval from a doctor if there was a history of concussion.

Mr Kucera said he understood that many would consider the idea of ​​bare knuckle with aversion, but he believed that it was better for the government to regulate practice instead of completely forbid it.

“In countries where they said:” We are going to forbid things like this, “what happens is that it goes underground, and then you have no control over it,” he said.

“If it has indeed been approved, it is strongly checked.

“And the level of injuries that we see in these things is probably less than what you get on the football field, because these people defend themselves.”

Concern about promoting violence

Prime Minister Roger Cook said that although the sport was not his “cup of tea”, he agreed that it was better to regulate the events.

“It is important that the Combat Sports Commission can ensure that we do not control combat sports underground,” said Mr. Cook.

Countless members of the community have hit the idea, including Wa President of the Australian Medical Association, Michael Page.

“We know that every sport that is repetitive entails on the head – and this is very clear that – people endanger the risk of not only acute brain shadding and acute brain injury, but also chronic traumatic encepalopathy (CTE), that is where people, years after they have been involved in these sports, gradual personality and dementia.”

Nationals WA deputy leader Peter Rundle also objected to the WA government that approves such an event.

“The prime minister and the government seem to punish and normalize that violence.”

Callers to ABC Radio Perth also objected.

“This is more than insane,” said Beller Branko.

“Look at the rates of domestic violence, and I would probably not accept nonsense that this has no influence on boys. It is.”

Caller Sheila said she was “absolutely shocked”.

“We rightly spend millions on domestic violence,” she said.

“We try to inform our children that violence is not the right way, and then the government subsidizes these bare fighting.”

But Beller Alex was a supporter.

“If you want to jump in a ring and hurt yourself, why not? We are not a nanny state.”