Australia medics call for boxing ban after Braydon Smith death

Braydon Smith was unbeaten in his 12 fights prior to his points defeat against John Moralde

Medical officials in Australia have called for a ban on boxing in the country after a fighter died.

Braydon Smith, 23, was beaten on points by Filipino John Moralde on Saturday and collapsed in his dressing room.

His life support was turned off on Monday after he failed to regain consciousness from an induced coma.

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Shaun Rudd said the fighter's death showed why boxing should be banned nationally.

"We believe that a so-called sport where two people knock each other in the head as often as you possibly can to win a bout seems rather barbaric," he told ABC in Australia.

"You're not allowed to hit the organs beneath the belt, whereas you're allowed to hit the organ above your shoulder, which is the most important organ in the body."

The WBC Asian Boxing Council continental featherweight title bout between Smith and Moralde was held in Toowomba, Queensland.

Smith was unbeaten in 12 fights prior to the bout and a family representative said the law student wanted to show boxing was not as dangerous as people feared.

"He really wanted to change the image of boxing," James O'Shea said.

"A lot of times in this country the sport gets a bad rap. A big goal of his in life was to show people it's not (a bad sport)."

Boxing Queensland president Ann Tindall defended the sport's reputation.

"It's a tragic accident, a tragic accident as you can have in a car or any other sport, there are many sports that have deaths in them.

"We don't believe we're immune, but at the same time we don't believe it's the boxing that's going to actually harm any of our youngsters."