A coroner said that he was surprised to find out a 15-year-old kickboxer had a match against a 34-year-old man just a week earlier.Alex Eastwood from Liverpool, Fazakerley, fell unconscious after the last two-minute round of a kickboxing match against a 17-year-old; this took place at a gym in Platt Bridge, Wigan on June 29 2024.After brought to the hospital, he experienced a serious head injury that resulted in his death three days after.From the age of nine, Alex did kickboxing five times a week and soon became a champion at top competitions.
At that time he was 6ft 7in (2.04m) and weighed 12.5 stone (80kg), he had just completed his GCSEs, and an opponent at the Wigan gym was set to fight him.In March, Michael Pemberton, assistant coroner for Manchester West, voiced his concerns about children’s safety in combat sports and the absence of proper rules and controls with the government. Alex’s coach and main instructor at Hurricane Combat and Fitness in Liverpool, Ian Hollett, revealed he has more than 30 years of martial arts experience and the gym he runs has about 400 members who are kids.He said at the Bolton Coroner’s hearing that the presence of a safeguarding officer at the gym started in 2024, and that person was a social worker.
Explaining Alex’s participation in the 34-year-old fight, Mr Hollett said such competitions had been discussed by Alex’s father and other coaches the year before.He said: “During the past two years, he never lost, he did well and that’s normal practice in our sport.”That is what makes me concerned,” said the coroner.You are up against an adult while your child goes up against another adult. This would be a very critical event if it happened in the street. What makes it appropriate?