Boxing event under fire over lack of doctor for hurt fighter

Brian Minto (left) of the USA fights Shane Cameron during the Fight for Life. Photo / Getty Images

Fight For Life charity boxing organisers have come under fire for not providing a registered doctor to attend to injuries inflicted on heavyweight Shane Cameron by opponent Brian Minto last weekend.

Fight For Life principal Dean Lonergan said Cameron was never in any danger and was offered an ambulance ride to hospital to be stitched up after his bloodied seventh-round TKO by Minto.

Cameron's manager, Ken Reinsfield, said the "usual doctor" - Dr Dave Renata - was not at the Fight For Life event, and replacement doctor Brian Stuart declined when asked to tend Cameron's wounds.

Dr Stuart is a retired physician from Britain, and said he was not registered in New Zealand.

"Everybody knew that," said Dr Stuart, "but I don't think I should comment further."

"I don't know that I would say it was negligent or anything like that," said Mr Reinsfield. "I wasn't very impressed but I haven't made a big deal of it or anything.

"I wasn't in the room at the time but I heard that the doctor told [members of the Cameron corner] he couldn't do it because he wasn't registered in New Zealand."

Cameron had stitches in a deep cut caused by a Minto elbow, and minor cuts over the eye were glued.

Mr Reinsfield said Dr Renata usually attended Auckland bouts.

"Shane has had Dave Renata in attendance pretty much throughout his whole career and he has always done a good job.

"But if a doctor is not registered, how qualified is he to look after fighters? What would have happened if Shane had had a brain bleed? Surely you have to have a registered doctor there."

Dr Renata had been pre-booked to attend another bout involving super-middleweight Isaac Peach.

Mr Lonergan said that in the event of a brain bleed, Cameron would have been taken by ambulance to hospital.

"We always have an ambulance at the fights, ready to go if it's needed.

"In fact, I asked Kenny if he wanted Shane to go in the ambulance to hospital about two minutes away and get stitched up. He didn't think it was necessary."

"That's possibly true," said Mr Reinsfield. "I'm not sure if that happened before or after we found out the doctor wasn't registered - but in any case, we got hold of Dave Renata and he came round to Shane's place and stitched him up."