Boxing will remain postponed after coronavirus lockdown is lifted due to pressure the sport puts on NHS

British Boxing Board of Control has warned boxers, promoters and fans not to expect the sport to resume any time soon as the staging of bouts depends entirely on the NHS’s ability to cope with injuries while fighting the outbreak of Covid-19

Boxing will not resume when the coronavirus lockdown is lifted because of the strain that the sport puts on the National Health Service, meaning it will be months before the sport resumes even if it does so behind closed doors.

All boxing has been postponed in Britain until the end of May at the very least, although the government’s lockdown extension to 7 May this week is likely to see that suspension extended even further.

The clamour for fights to return has seen boxers and promoters alike raise the prospect of staging bouts behind closed doors, with careers currently on hold because of the outbreak of Covid-19. At present, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Josh Taylor and Anthony Yarde have all seen fights postponed, along with the British heavyweight title bout between Daniel Dubois and Joe Joyce. Dillian Whyte's showdown with Alexander Povetkin has also fallen by the wayside.

However, hopes of a swift return to action once the lockdown restrictions are eased by the government have been dashed by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), with a letter from general secretary Robert Smith confirming that the sport will have to remain under a hiatus until the NHS can afford to have medical personnel at fights and not on the coronavirus front line.

“At present there is no date for social isolation to end,” Smith said. “Public health and safety is everyone’s top priority and the British Boxing Board of Control is taking government advice so that we can best advise all our licence holders as to when professional boxing in the UK can resume. We recognise that licence holders will want to prepare for restrictions being lifted and sport resuming.

“However, it is important to remember that professional boxing will not be able to resume as soon as the lockdown and social distancing measures are lifted. The principle reason for this are the strict medical practices that the BBBofC has in place for the safety of boxer’s.

“When restrictions are lifted, the ongoing work for our BBBofC medical officers and ambulance crews in their NHS roles will continue for some time. As the immediate pressure on the NHS reduces, some medical officers may be available to work at BBBofC shows. However, this may not necessarily mean that shows can run. While the NHS is still fighting/recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic we cannot place any further pressure on the system. To put this into perspective, if a boxer suffers a head injury and requires neurosurgical intervention they would go to an intensive care unit (ICU) bed in the post-operative period and require vast medical input in the acute setting. The British Boxing Board of Control will not place this pressure on the NHS and professional boxing cannot happen until normal NHS services have resumed.”

Having seen events postponed indefinitely in March, it means that boxing in Britain may not resume for a number of months until the NHS is in a position for it to do so. That could result in the sport being one of the last to resume once the coronavirus pandemic has past, and even when the NHS is in a position for the sport to restart, Smith is conscious that those who have tackled Covid-19 head-on may not be ready.

“Furthermore, NHS staff will have come through one of the biggest challenges faced by the NHS, in its history,” he added. “All involved will be physically and mentally fatigued. They will justifiably want to take rest and recuperation time. Therefore, due consideration has to be given to the medical personnel before any appointments to the tournaments can take place.

“Your patience in the phased return of BBBofC licensed shows will be required and appreciated.”

The announcement places great uncertainty on boxing events throughout the remainder of 2020 given the timescales that the government has warned of in the fight against coronavirus. While prime minister Boris Johnson warned of a three-month fight through the peak of the virus – something that foreign secretary Dominic Raab reiterated during Thursday’s lockdown extension – health officials have warned that it could be well into 2021 before a vaccine is developed to combat the illness, with a fresh warning coming on Friday that the UK faces wave after wave of fresh coronavirus outbreaks.