AMA calls for boxing ban after fighter dies
THE Australian Medical Association of Queensland has called for the sport of boxing to be banned, following the death of Braydon Smith.
The 23-year-old Toowoomba boxer and law student was surrounded by family and friends when he died in hospital yesterday afternoon.
He had collapsed a few hours after being beaten in a 10-round bout against Filipino John Moralde at Rumours International on Saturday night.
AMA Queensland president Shaun Rudd told the ABC this morning that the sport can never be made safe.
"It's particularly sad when somebody dies playing a so-called sport when the whole idea of the sport is to try and knock the opponent out, or at least try and do enough damage to the head as you possibly can," Dr Rudd said.
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Close family friend James O'Shea said Braydon had wanted to change the image of boxing.
"Braydon Smith didn't need boxing, but he loved boxing, he loved the sport," Mr O'Shea said.
"He spoke about there being a perception about boxing and that it sometimes got a bad rap in Australia and he wanted to change that.
