GP quits ringside over concussion ruling

Ringside doctor Lou Lewis has spoken out about the decision to continue the Green-Mundine boxing match

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One of the doctors attending ringside at this month’s much-anticipated boxing bout between Anthony Mundine and Danny Green has spoken out about a decision to continue the fight despite a probable concussion to one of the combatants.

GP and prolific TMR correspondent, Dr Lou Lewis, was one of two doctors officiating at the match when Green received a blow to the head from Mundine in the first round of the contest.

Dr Lewis, who has 40 years’ experience as a doctor at boxing bouts, judged that Green was concussed and that the fight should be discontinued. Dr Lewis’s opinion was, however, overruled by the other doctor present, official match doctor Dr John O’Neill, and by the match referee.

An infuriated Dr Lewis then quit his role as a doctor for the bout in protest at the decision.

“I said to the referee: ‘Are you stopping the fight?” The referee said ‘no’ … and I said: ‘I’m having nothing more to do with this fight’,” Dr Lewis told the ABC.

Dr Lewis’s stance drew support from the AMA and the Australasian Ringside Medical Associate, which both agreed the fight should have been stopped at that stage.

“Another serious blow when he’s already concussed, it is no exaggeration to say, could have been fatal,” AMA President Dr Michael Gannon said.

Green, who fought on for nine more rounds, winning more than $1 million in the process, admitted after the bout that he had been concussed.

“Mate, I didn’t know whether I was Arthur or Martha,” Green said.