Supporters left out of pocket after Combat Sports Authority blocks Australia's oldest professional boxer Media Man Int

Supporters left out of pocket after Combat Sports Authority blocks Australia's oldest professional boxer

Media Release

April 2019

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The NSW Combat Sports Authority (CSA) has cancelled a $200-per-ticket fight between Sydney's boxing priest, 57 year-old Father Dave Smith, and Jason Mac Gura just one hour before they were due to enter the ring.

Father Dave is one of the oldest professional boxers in the world. He and his opponent were left $20,000 out of pocket when the fight was blocked with no explanation last Friday 22 March.

The earnings from the fight were to fund his youth mission, Fighting Fathers Ministries, which reaches out to at-risk young people in Sydney by teaching them to box.

"This fight was a fundraiser for my work with the Muslim community, which is especially important at the moment after the events in Christchurch," Father Dave said.

"The CSA had known about this fight for weeks. It was both unfair and insensitive to block it at such short notice when dozens of people had paid more than $200 a ticket to support me and the work of Fighting Fathers Ministries, even though they are not boxing fans. It meant my opponent didn't even have enough money to cover his rent for the week."

Father Dave believes he is being discriminated against because of his age. He is in excellent health and complied with all of the CSA's procedures. He was expected to wear out his opponent within a few rounds last Friday night.

"I suspect the CSA has violated their own procedures in stopping me because they're worried about possible legal ramifications if I get hurt. The basic problem with the CSA is it's a board made up of professional bureaucrats, most of whom have probably never attended a boxing match."

"It is time for the CSA to stop side-lining older athletes," Father Dave said.