Covid-19: Wakefield Council bans bare-knuckle boxing event

Although bare-knuckle boxing is legal, it is not regulated by the British Boxing Board of Control, which requires fighters to wear gloves

A bare-knuckle boxing event has been banned after police warned it would break lockdown rules.

Bare Knuckle Boxing (BKB) had planned to live-stream eight bouts from Production Park in South Kirkby, near Wakefield, on Friday.

BKB said the event would have been Covid-secure with rigorous coronavirus testing in advance.

However, police told Wakefield Council bare-knuckle boxing did not qualify as elite sport exempt from lockdown rules.

Concerns were also raised at Monday's licensing hearing about additional pressure being put on hospitals as a result of injuries.

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Jim Freeman, from BKB, told the panel the show would be held behind closed doors, with staff wearing masks and adhering to social distancing, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service..

"We will follow all the guidelines you'd expect in the current climate," he said.

"Our competitors earn thousands of pounds rather than hundreds of pounds. They're professional and they train for 12 weeks prior to the event.

"There's no criminal fraternity that you might have a preconception of at a bare-knuckle boxing fight."

'Illegal gathering'

The event had originally been scheduled at the O2 Arena in London, but the venue's management deemed it was not an elite sport, the licensing committee was told.

Mark Thorold, from West Yorkshire Police, said it would "amount to an illegal gathering" if granted a licence.

"Unfortunately for Mr Freeman, the Covid lockdown has come in," he said.

"We're not questioning how he runs the event, but unfortunately these regulations he government have brought in are an issue on this occasion."

Julie Barker, from the council's environmental health team, added: "Holding a bare-knuckle boxing event is not essential at this time and any injuries arising would put an additional strain on our already overstretched hospitals."

• LOCKDOWN LOOK-UP: The rules in your area

• SOCIAL DISTANCING: How have rules on meeting friends changed?

• SUPPORT BUBBLES: What are they and who can be in yours?

• FACE MASKS: When do I need to wear one?

• TESTING: How do I get a virus test?

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