Tim Hague’s family files wrongful death suit

Just under two years after UFC veteran Tim Hague’s death following a knockout loss to Adam Braidwood, “The Thrashing Machine’s” family has filed suit against the Edmonton Combative Sports Council, its former executive director, the match’s referee, and several others.

I hesitated on writing this piece, as Tim Bissell from Bloody Elbow already did a sterling job of breaking down the suit’s myriad claims and defendants.

Other defendants listed in the lawsuit include Pat Reid (who was the Executive Director of the ECSC at the time of Hague’s death), Len Kovisto (who was the referee for Hague’s final fight — versus Adam Braidwood), Dr. Shelby Karpman and Dr Shirdi Nullah (who are named as ringside physicians for Hague vs. Braidwood), David Aitken (a City employee who is believed to have hired Pat Reid), and K.O. Boxing Canada (the promotion responsible for Hague vs. Braidwood).

Bissell gives a better picture than I could, painting a grim picture of the commission’s many failures in allowing the fight to take place. Having watched the fight, it 100% should have been stopped in the first round, but holding the referee liable seems like it would set an impossible precedent, especially as Hague did beat all three counts.

The promotion should, in my legally illiterate opinion, bear at least some financial responsibility for putting together a grievous mismatch between a heavy-handed fighter and a man with 10 knockout losses under his belt. I’ve said that record padding like this is one of the sport’s greatest issues and I would prefer nobody else dies before something happens to change that.