Father's regret over son's fatal boxing bout

The father of a man who died after taking part in a white collar boxing match said he would always regret not getting his son to pull out of the event.

Dominic Chapman, 26, collapsed after a six minute bout at Tramps nightclub in Worcester in April 2022 and died two days later.

John Chapman, Dominic’s father, broke down as he paid tribute to his son during an inquest at Worcestershire Coroners' Court on Tuesday.

“I didn’t expect the ferocity and the absolute competitiveness of the boxing that took place - and I don’t think he expected it either,” he said.

“And I [will] regret it, to the day of my death, that I didn’t stop him.”

Mr Chapman described his son as a warm, happy, young man with a strong work ethic and lifelong friends, saying it had been a “privilege” to be his dad.

He added that Dominic, from Droitwich in Worcestershire, was in the best physical shape he had ever been in before his fight.

“I remember seeing a previous fight, and two ladies absolutely clubbing each other - it was clear to that it was all about attack, rather than actual boxing,” he said of the event.

Earlier on Tuesday, a leading doctor told the inquest that the event’s bosses should have notified the ambulance service in advance about the fights.

“You should be given the option of deciding if an event is risky enough to put more staff on, so you can ensure there’s no delay in treatment,” said Dr Ramzi Freij, a consultant in emergency medicine who has overseen events at Wembley Stadium.

“I think it would have been wise to have informed the ambulance service and the local trauma centre of the event.”

The inquest continues.

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