Amir Khan backs new inquiry to improve welfare, health and safety in boxing

Former world champion Amir Khan is among a growing number of boxers backing a King’s Counsel-led inquiry aimed at improving welfare, health and safety standards across boxing and other combat sports.

Khan is one of Britain's most decorated boxers who won multiple world championship belts across several weights.

He has backed the Global Fighters Association's (GFA) appointment of leading UK barrister Jonathan Caplan KC to lead a "root-and-branch" inquiry into the safety, governance and treatment of boxers at every level of the sport.

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What's happening?

Jonathan Caplan KC has been tasked with leading an inquiry to gather evidence from within boxing and other combat sports in order to raise standards around welfare, health and safety and governance issues.

He intends to consult a broad range of stakeholders, including fighters, coaches, physiotherapists, doctors, surgeons, referees, judges, promoters, boards of control, governing bodies, media commentators, venue operators, managers, and the friends and families of fighters.

Caplan, speaking to Sky Sports said: "We will publish I hope far-reaching recommendations explaining our conclusions.

"We're doing this inquiry late, it should have been done a long time ago.

"There have been other significant inquiries into sport. An MP-led select committee held an inquiry into concussion in sport around two years ago, while the Whyte Review examined allegations of physical and emotional abuse in British Gymnastics. Combat sports are now crying out for the same level of detailed scrutiny. The welfare of participants across all combat sports must be fundamental to what we're trying to achieve. This inquiry is long overdue, and it's something that has never been done before."

Why is this happening now?

The inquiry has been commissioned by the Global Fighters Association (GFA), which aims to establish itself as the first trade union representing boxers and participants across other combat sports.

The GFA's goal is to become a collective voice for everyone involved in combat sports, from those training and competing at their local gym to professional athletes who depend on the sport for their livelihood. Its ambition is to represent participants at every level, both inside and outside the ring.

While the sport's biggest stars generate a significant proportion of its revenue, for every global superstar such as Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury, there are hundreds of fighters further down the ladder working hard to make a living from the sport. Their welfare, financial security and long-term health are among the issues the inquiry aims to address.

Paul Smith enjoyed a professional boxing career spanning 2003 to 2017, competing at middleweight and super-middleweight. During that time, he won both English and British titles and challenged for a world title on three occasions.

Now a trainer and co-founder of the GFA, Smith told Sky Sports: "The average fighter going to work every day is just trying to make a living from professional boxing. There is enough money in the sport for them to earn a living, but at the moment, it's simply not reaching those fighters.

"There isn't a system in place that adequately protects fighters when it comes to health and safety. We've seen so many people injured in the ring and, unfortunately, boxing isn't a sport where you simply lose a race. You can suffer serious injuries, be hit and even be killed. As sad as it is, it happens."

Smith added: "We want to establish a union where fighters feel safe and know they have someone on their side. If something goes wrong, they should be able to pick up the phone and speak to someone who can support them straight away.

"There are so many situations where rules may have been breached and a fighter is required to attend a hearing or answer questions. We want a GFA representative to be there alongside them, ensuring they have support and someone looking after their interests. The same applies if they have a disagreement with their manager or become involved in a dispute."

The GFA says that, in recent months, several fighters have suffered serious injuries in and around the ring, leaving their families to rely on public fundraising pages and the goodwill of fellow fighters and promoters to cover emergency medical treatment and rehabilitation costs. The association argues that these cases highlight the need for a more robust, sport-wide system of protection and support for fighters.

Former world champion Amir Khan also voiced his support for the initiative, saying: "There has to be an organisation that sits above everything, somewhere we can all turn to when something goes wrong, whether it's in training, at a weigh-in, with a contract or even in retirement. The GFA is that organisation."

Who else is involved?

Founded in 2022, the Global Fighters Association (GFA) is stepping up its efforts to improve welfare and safety across boxing and other combat sports, with its ambitions now extending beyond a group of former fighters campaigning for change.

The association's chair-designate is Simon Bazalgette, former chief executive of the Jockey Club and an independent non-executive director of the English Football League (EFL). His experience across professional sport brings an additional perspective to the GFA's mission.

Bazalgette said: "Over the last decade or so, professional sports such as rugby, football and horse racing have raised their game when it comes to the welfare of the participants."

"They recognise that the brand of the sport increasingly depends on demonstrating that best-in-class welfare underpins any aspiration to grow the audience and the commercial value of the sport.

"It is striking that combat sport is one of the last workplaces with no professional representation for its workers, meaning little protection, no minimum health and safety standard, no independent pension scheme, no insurance floor, and no single body a fighter can turn to when something goes wrong."

When will the inquiry report its findings?

Jonathan Caplan KC confirmed he intends to conduct several inquiries, with the first focusing on health and safety in boxing and other combat sports. He hopes to publish the initial report by spring 2027.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Caplan said he would examine how other sports have approached similar challenges and consider the lessons that could be applied to combat sports.

"I'm certainly very interested in looking at comparative sports, the conclusions they've reached and the regulatory overviews that have been carried out.

"For example, a DCMS select committee inquiry into concussion in sport is going to be of great interest to me. I'll be looking at what's already been done elsewhere and, where it's relevant, we want to learn from it and apply those lessons."

Caplan stressed that the inquiry would be evidence-led, with fighters and their families contributing first-hand accounts to help inform its findings and recommendations.

"The whole purpose is to produce a comprehensive and reasoned report. We'll be speaking to fighters and their families to gather case studies. Those who choose not to follow the proposals we put forward will have to explain why, particularly if the evidence supports them.

"I suspect the evidence is going to point to quite a lot of innovations that are necessary and long overdue. I don't think anybody wants to see those recommendations ignored, and I don't think anyone wants to be the person who fails to act on sensible recommendations."