Boxing commentator on concerns for combat sports

RENOWNED sports commentator Andy Raymond has openly admitted he is worried for what the next decade may look like for combat sports, due to the significant rise in head injuries.

The discovery of potentially life-threatening side effects from the sports world, including Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, has dramatically changed the way sports have been played over the last couple of years.

In leagues like the AFL and NFL, many former players have already filed lawsuits against the game’s organisers as a result of a career of head injuries and they don’t look likely to stop.

Raymond revealed his concerns for the future of certain sports and how it may affect not only combat sports but other codes dealing with similar issues.

“It is the great unknown, I’m a boxing and mixed martial arts fan,” Raymond told SEN 1170 Mowers Club.

“I fail to see in 10 years’ time how either sport is going to be going because when the lawsuit hits, it’s going to hit everyone,” he said.

“In MMA and boxing, the very aim of the sport is to basically punch your mate in the head and with that comes the CTE.”

Raymond said with his thought that the aim of combat sports as opposed to ball sports will have a massive impact on potential legal cases in future.

“Whilst there is the battle against CTE at the moment, the lawsuits are coming, they’re going to come in every code and it’s going to be an absolute game changer,” he said.

“That’s when somewhere down the line an insurance company and the lawyers are going to look at boxing and MMA, and say, ‘Well if there’s a $100 million lawsuit in AFL and rugby league, where the goal is to win the game, not inflict damage, what’s the bill going to be in boxing?”

– DOMINIC CRINITI/ SEN