By: James Blears

It’s time that boxing authorities pulled up and punished idiots like Nate Campbell.

Campbell who’s contesting the IBF junior lightweight title against Robbie Peden in Melbourne on Wednesday, is reported to have threatened to leave Peden brain dead: “You’re going to be brain dead when I’m finished with you.”

What sort of an individual is Nate Campbell?
Has he ever seen anyone who is brain dead, or witnessed that person’s parents and loved ones faced with the agonizing decision to switch their life support system off?

In other sports, a person who issued such disgusting threats would be severely sanctioned, and surely this should also apply in Nate Campbell’s case.

Perhaps the most fitting punishment would be for him to go and see for himself the victims of severe head trauma.

Who does Nate Campbell actually think he is?

Muhammad Ali himself once said that he fought to win but  not to maim.

In their first fight on March 14th last year,  Campbell committed two cardinal sins. Firstly, he was stupid enough to lower his hands and offer Peden a free shot, which resulted in him being temporarily separated of his senses and knocked out. But much more than that, he failed to show his opponent the respect he was due.

Boxing is a fine sport, which brings out magnificent qualities in its hands on participants such as skill, courage, fighting spirit and decency.

For me one of its most enduring aspects is the willingness of the looser to immediately go over and congratulate the winner. That’s called sportsmanship.

To be a good winner you’ve got to be a gentleman. To be a good looser, you’ve got to be a man.

Campbell’s fighting nickname is reputedly the Galaxy Warrior. If what he said, has been correctly reported, his sort of boxer is totally alien to anything I would recognize as acceptable in this sport.

Boxing has enough avowed enemies already, without giving them yet more ammunition.

Let’s hope to God that Campbell’s trash talk does not result in a tragedy, and that we have a great fight, after which both men can hold their heads up high.

Boxing is about fighting skill and not maiming. Nate Campbell owes Robbie Peden and boxing a sincere apology.