Adam Braidwood said he knows of no other way of honouring the memory of his friend Tim Hague than to just keep fighting.
Braidwood will do that tonight when he headlines Summer Slugfest VII at Western Speedway in the featured heavyweight bout against Wilfredo Leal of Mexico.
Former UFC fighter Hague eventually got to his feet after being knocked out in the second round by Braidwood, in a bout June 16 in Edmonton, but the 34-year-old died two days later in hospital of a brain injury. The death has led to calls for more stringent licensing requirements for boxers and more protections for them in the ring.
“I will never get over it. But I try to turn that into motivation,” said Braidwood, during Thursday’s weigh-in at the V-Lounge in the Red Lion Inn.
“The only way to conquer adversity is to continue doing what you do best, but with more intensity. I want to respect and honour [Hague’s] legacy and memory and do all that I can do to have his family taken care of, especially his son [nine-year-old Brady Hague].”
Braidwood has encouraged people to donate to the Hague family on GoFundMe.
“I wish the best for them and hope to do more as time goes on,” he said.
Tonight was a bout the promoter, Stan Peterec, was unsure would even happen after the Hague tragedy: “The fight was already planned, but it was really hard for me to phone [Braidwood] and ask if it was still on. I did not know his mindset. But Adam’s mindset is right. He could have sat on a barstool. But for him to keep fighting is the best thing that can be done [in this situation].”
The six-foot-four Braidwood began his climb in sports as a football defensive end who went from Seaquam Secondary in Delta to the Rose Bowl with the Washington State Cougars of the NCAA Pac-12. After four seasons with the Cougars, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 CFL draft and played five seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos to 2010. But a football knee injury led to painkillers, which led to opiates and full-on drug addiction, and a life of crime that resulted in prison time for sexual assault. While calling it a “very serious” crime, Justice Eric Macklin in 2013 noted Braidwood’s deep remorse and described his apology to the victim and community as “heart-wrenching.”
Braidwood, who works with at-risk youth, discusses this openly in a frank Ted X talk and video produced by Jesse Hlady Studio: “I made bad decisions in life which led me down a really dark path. I’ve been to hell and back.”
Boxing and gyms gave him an outlet and kept him away from other influences, and relocating to the Island after being granted parole in 2015, helped turn the tide of Braidwood’s life. The 33-year-old is the World Boxing Union heavyweight champion and trains at Zuma Gym in Victoria with Adam Zugec and in Parksville with Richard LeStage.
“I have five good years left of boxing and I feel I can fight anyone in the world,” said the surprisingly soft-spoken Braidwood, who is 8-1, with seven knockouts.
“I want to bring a [major] world title to Canada. I feel that I have still yet to peak.”
Tonight’s opponent, Leal, is 10-10-2 as a pro and hails from the state of Sinaloa. The Mexican fighter weighed in at 260 pounds to Braidwood’s 242.
“I don’t know much about [Braidwood] . . . all I know is that he punches hard,” said Leal, through an interpreter.
There will be nine bouts, a mix of male and female kickboxing and MMA, on the undercard leading to the Braidwood-Leal featured heavyweight boxing match.
But all eyes will be on one man trying to outrun his demons.
“Adam Braidwood is the nicest guy outside the ring. He’s a different guy once he steps in the ring,” said promoter Peterc, a legend in the fight game on the Island.
“There is a lot of pent-up emotion.”
Twitter.com/tc_vicsports
