The Nottinghamshire holder of the record for being the world’s oldest boxer has defended his sport after the death of Mike Towell.
Towell, 25, died in hospital on Friday night after being knocked down twice during his bout with Welsh fighter Dale Evans in Glasgow on Thursday.
It has led to new calls for more safety checks in boxing, and the chief executive of Nottingham brain injury charity Headway even called for it to be banned.
But fighter Steve Ward, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, says there is already enough safety in the sport and maintained fighters understood the risks.
Ward became the world’s oldest active boxer in December when he stepped into the ring aged 59.
“I’ve been in this business 51 years now, and all being well I’ll be fighting again soon,” he said.
“It is a bit of a brutal sport but it is a very well looked after sport as regards medicals. Before you can consider being a pro boxer you’ve got to have done something and done it well in the amateurs.
“You then step into the professional realm. You have such a medical. You’ve got to have brain scans, respiratory and heart tests, eyes, ears, everything. The scan I had last year took about seven hours to do.”
Professional UK boxers are licensed by the British Boxing Board of Control, which uses a stringent set of medical tests, interviews, document checks and even gym assessments.
Ward, who is now 60, added: “You can’t get past these medicals and you can’t fluke them. You have another medical before the fight and another one after the fight.
“There are always paramedics on that front row ringside and there’s always an ambulance on standby. Amateur is a sport, professional it’s a business, because there’s money involved.
“In professional category you need to sign to say you are fit and well. Mike Towell will have passed every medical and drug test before that fight.”
Towell is the third British boxer to die following a fight in the last 20 years. He was treated in the ring but was taken to hospital on a stretcher.
Medics later found a significant brain injury and the decision was made to turn off his life support.
“We are deeply saddened to hear of this tragic loss of life,” said Peter McCabe, Chief Executive of Headway, which has its head office in Basford.
“This was a young father in the prime of his life and our heartfelt thoughts go out to his family and friends at this difficult time.
“Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. It is another in a long line of boxing tragedies where lives have been lost or irreparably damaged as a result of brain injury.
“Quite rightly, the focus at this time should be on supporting the family. But the question remains: how many more lives have to be damaged or lost before this senseless sport is banned?”
Towell was unbeaten going into his Welterweight fight with Evans on Thursday.
A charity appeal set up to raise money for his family has already raised more than £30,000.
