Family of kickboxer, 15, 'seeking answers' after he died following unregulated fight

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The family of a teenage kickboxer are 'seeking answers' after he suffered a head injury while competing in a match. An inquest is to take place into the death of the 15-year-old kickboxing champion who collapsed after an unsanctioned fight in Wigan last year.

Alex Eastwood was a member of the Hurricane Combat and Fitness club, where he achieved a black belt in kickboxing. The teenager, from Fazakerley, was due to compete in the kickboxing World Championships in Portugal in October 2024, having already secured six championship wins in his short but mighty career.

In a pre-inquest hearing, a coroner has said: "This is a contact sport. It's a much wider set of issues as to whether children should be able to participate in such matters without regulation." Alex's family say they do not wish to blame anyone for the tragedy, but want to 'understand and prevent repetition'.

Alex had fought three individual rounds of a bout at a kickboxing gym in Platt Bridge before becoming seriously unwell on June 29, 2024.