Inquiry into death of fighter calls for Alberta to regulate bouts, enforce stronger oversights

A judge who led a fatality inquiry into the death of fighter Tim Hague after he was knocked out in an Edmonton bout seven years ago is calling for sweeping changes to the way combative sports are regulated in the province.

Hague died from a brain hemorrhage on June 18, 2017, two days after he was knocked unconscious by his opponent during a boxing match sanctioned by the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission.

A left uppercut during the second round put Hague on the canvas. He managed to walk to his dressing room, lost unconsciousness again, and lapsed into a coma.

Hague, 34, was treated for a brain bleed but failed to recover. Two days after the fight, he was taken off life support.

Hague's death prompted calls for improved regulation of combative events in the province, had ripple effects on the sport and continues to raise questions about the safety regulations around combative and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters in Alberta. 

In her report into Hague's death, Justice Carrie Sharpe says Alberta alone should handle sanctioning of combative sports, instead of the current patchwork of municipal bodies. 

Alberta is the only province that puts combative sports commissions under municipal jurisdiction. Sports safety advocates and city officials have long lobbied the province to create a single governing body.

"In Alberta, like no other jurisdiction in North America, there is no provincial oversight," Sharpe, with the Alberta Court of Justice, says in her report.

"As there is no provincial oversight, there are gaps in the sanctioning of events that could lead to suspensions not being appropriately applied."

Sharpe makes a total of 14 recommendations, including a call for stringent limits on when contestants are cleared to