Ex-boxer Will Tomlinson calls for change in the sport in wake of Dwight Ritchie death
Former world boxing champion Will Tomlinson says the sport must better look after its combatants and has outlined a five-point plan aimed at doing just that.
Boxing/MMA
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Three days after saying goodbye to his boxing buddy Dwight Ritchie, a former world champion in Will Tomlinson has pleaded for change in the sport he loves.
While acknowledging that Ritchie’s death earlier this month was a tragic and freak occurrence, Tomlinson knows boxing needs to improve in many areas if it’s going to survive.
“Dwight’s death highlighted how fragile life can be when you are participating in a sport where the name of the game is to hurt your opponent and to prepare for that daily in training. As they say, you don’t PLAY boxing” said Tomlinson, 33, who held the IBO world super featherweight title from 2011-14.
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”It was so sad at Dwight Ritchie’s funeral when some of his interviews were replayed, where he said he didn’t care about his legacy, only that his kids knew that he loved them and would always be there for him. Everyone at that funeral would have thought how sad it was that he won’t be there for his kids.”
Tomlinson retired in 2016 with a highly respectable record of 25 wins and just three losses, although two of his defeats came via knock outs in his last four fights. He has maintained his health in retirement and limits the amount of alcohol he consumes, but is fully aware his future remains uncertain.
“Fighters, trainers and promoters must unite to ensure the highest of standards. I watched Kostya Tszyu fighting Ricky Hatton in 2005 when Kostya’s trainer Johnny Lewis stopped the fight after the 11th round.
That was an example of a trainer doing the right thing by his boxer.
“Or when Lewis advised Jeff Harding to retire because he was worried about how much punishment he was absorbing in his fights, despite being the light heavyweight champion of the world. Jeff Horn’s fight against Michael Zerafa went for far too long, meaning either the referee or Horn’s corner should have acted sooner.
“I had multiple fights shortly after being concussed in training camps. My last fight in 2016 I was severely concussed in training two weeks before the fight, and even though I had the appropriate tests at Olympic Park, looking back I shouldn’t have fought.
“The Victorian Professional Boxing Combat Sports Board can be even more diligent in ensuring evert official never makes an oversight, because one oversight can change a boxer’s life. A referee for instance has to be able to read a fight, to know when a boxer is done.
“I was given the all clear on my brain after retirement in 2016 in terms of degeneration, but I haven’t had any testing since. That movie “Concussion” proves none of us are out of the woods for a long time.”
WILL TOMLINSON’S FIVE-POINT BOXING PLAN
1: Never train or fight when dehydrated
2: Trainers must save fighters from punishment
3: Referees must save fighters from punishment
4: Only employ the finest ringside physicians
5: Have stricter and regular pre-fight weight tests.