A western suburbs schoolteacher, concerned about at-risk youth, is begging boxing authorities to reconsider their decision to ban a new fighting league from running in Victoria.
Joel Camilleri, a professional boxer who works part-time as a PE teacher, says he’s “pissed off” that the International Brawling Championship (IBC) has been told it does not comply with local safety regulations.
“I’m a schoolteacher by trade”, Mr Camilleri says.
“In Melbourne’s west these days there’s fighting, there are shootings and there are stabbings. Combat sports takes people away from that. I think by taking away one combat sport, it’s going to lead to more stuff happening on the street than in the cage”.
The IBC operates under a different rule set to boxing and claims to “strip combat back to its rawest form”.
Competitors wear 4oz (113g) mixed-martial-arts gloves, which contain less padding than the 10oz gloves (283g) traditionally worn by professional boxers.
The IBC “Brawl Pen” cage where the fights take place is smaller than a typical ring used for professional boxing.
IBC founder and president Danny Mac, argues that his rules are safer than UFC events: “We don’t allow elbows, kicks, or take-downs like other sports”.
“There are promotions already running in Victoria that allow flying knees to the head. We don’t let that happen in the IBC”.
Victoria’s “Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board” has determined that the IBC’s brand of “brawling” is an entirely new sport and therefore requires special ministerial approval to run legal events.
“Brawling has not been determined to be a combat sport in Victoria and is therefore not regulated by the Professional Boxing and Combat Sports Board” a spokesman for the board told the Herald Sun.
The board recently advised Sports Minister Steve Dimopoulos not to add the IBC to the list of regulated sports, and the Minister accepted the advice.
Boxing promoter Brian Armatruda slammed the board’s conduct: “There’s no such thing as ‘brawling’. The chairman of this board, Alan Clayton, comes from Greyhound racing. The board needs more boxing and kick-boxing people on there”.
“This isn’t bare-knuckle fighting. It’s no different than a lot of other events we stage already,” added Armatruda, who owns the Melbourne Pavillion where the IBC was scheduled to run.
Mr Mac has issued an invitation for board members to attend his next event on the Gold Coast: “I invite the board personally to watch for themselves from the front row. We’ve been on national television now for more than a year. Viewers have already seen how seriously we take safety”.
Among the board members who considered the IBC application was popular policeman, Wayne Cheeseman.
Commander Cheeseman became known as “the rock” after a famous press conference where he called out protesters for attacking police members with projectiles.
Mr Camillieri is competing in the IBC for the first time after 40 professional boxing bouts: “We’re adults, 18 and above. We’re signing a liability form that says that we understand the risks and the risks are on us. Same as when you go to a bloody water park. There shouldn’t be a problem”.
Mr Camilleri was to fight Isaac Hardman at IBC 5 in Melbourne but the event will now be staged on the Gold Coast.
The 36-year-old fighter plans to take up the issue with the board himself: “People want to see action. They want entertainment. The way it moves to Queensland is very disappointing”.
**Seb Costello received travel arrangements to appear on an IBC show in March.