The Deadly Ring

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BBC Radio 4 - The Deadly Ring

An investigation into the 'white collar' boxing trend after a number of recent deaths.

Presenter Richard Butchins investigates the popular 'white collar' boxing trend in light of three deaths in the last few years.

Thousands of people have taken part in ‘white collar’ boxing bouts since it was introduced in the UK in the early 2000s. The premise is simple - a non-boxer spends six to ten weeks training for a fight which usually takes place in front of friends and family. But critics of white collar boxing have called it another form of unregulated boxing, which falls outside the jurisdiction of governing sports bodies.

Two young men have died in the last two years after taking part in white collar boxing bouts, leading to renewed calls for these types of matches to be banned. While the exact cause of their deaths has yet to be determined through an inquest, the dad of one of these young men is now fighting for white collar boxing to end.

Presenter Richard Butchins goes on the trail of this type of boxing, asking whether participants are being put at unnecessary risk. He wants to know what kind of damage white collar boxing is doing to the reputation of the sport in the UK, and if it has a future.

Presenter: Richard Butchins
Producer: Emily Uchida Finch

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