Edmonton fighter Tim Hague, who died after getting knocked out in the second round of a boxing match on June 16, was remembered as a devoted father during a celebration of life service in his hometown of Boyle, Alta. Monday
Friends, family and fellow fighters spilled out of the packed community centre where mourners gathered to honour the 34-year-old father of a nine-year-old boy.
“He was a great dad. Wherever he went Brady went. They were best friends. With his students he had a great relationship with them. He really enjoyed it,” said Aaron Teed, Hague’s roommate.
“My kids gave him the lovable nickname ‘Fight Guy,’ and we just became friends after that. He'd come out and visit me every summer with Brady,” friend Terry Hills told CTV Edmonton, his voice breaking with emotion.
“He was a community boy. He was a proud Boyle boy. He loved the city of Edmonton.”
Hague succumbed to injuries he sustained during a heavyweight boxing match against former Edmonton Eskimo player Adam Braidwood. A third-party investigation will soon be underway, looking at the actions of everyone involved, from promoters, to the referee and judges, to the commission that sanctioned the match.
Hague, listed at six-foot-four and 264 pounds, was able to leave the ring under his own power but was soon rushed to hospital. He underwent brain surgery but died two days later.
“Tim was a warrior, and fought to stay alive after being injured in a boxing match in Edmonton on Friday night. His injuries proved to be too severe, however, and Tim never regained consciousness,” read his obituary.
Many are questioning why the fight was allowed to go ahead when Hague had a history of concussions and knockouts, and why it wasn’t stopped sooner. Hague, who fought under the nickname the Thrashing Machine in mixed martial arts before turning to boxing, was a heavy underdog who accepted the fight on only two weeks’ notice.
He was knocked down three times in the first round against Braidwood, who came in to the match with an 8-1 record. The referee stopped the bout after two more knockdowns in the second round.
Braidwood said he wished Hague would stop the fight just moments before he delivered the knockout punch. In fact, he told CTV News Channel that he knew his friend would die moments after he landed the left hook that sent Hague tumbling to the mat.
“I just saw the way he fell.”
Teed said he hopes Hague’s death will spark changes in boxing.
“I’m hoping that more attention is taken at taking a look before and after fights and how it's affecting the brain,” said Teed. “There's things in that area that definitely need to be looked at.”
Some believe Hague returned to the ring to make money for his son’s future. More than $50,000 has been raised through an online fundraiser after Hague’s death. He’s survived by his wife Brianne, son Brady, his parents, a sister and a brother.
With a report from CTV Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson
