A BARE-knuckle boxing event is set to take place at Worcester racecourse with over 1500 people expected to attend.

Shaun Seery, creator of The Gloves are Off (TGAO), has been planning the event with Pitchcroft over the year following the racecourse marking its 300th anniversary last year.

Mr Seery, from Worcester said: “With there being history of bare-knuckle boxing at Worcester Pitchcroft Racecourse we thought it would be a great idea to bring it back.”

In 1824, more than 40,000 people flocked to the racecourse to watch Tom Spring and Jack Langan in which was set to be their biggest sporting event of the year. It was a bare-knuckle contest which lasted 77 rounds.

TGAO has been hosting bare-knuckle boxing events for two years with this show being their sixth one. Mr Seery, aged 30, says the sport is ‘growing fast’, with more than 1500 people expected to attend the event on July 27.

He said: “People hear the word bare knuckle boxing and think of hay bales, fighting in car parks or behind circus tents. We are anything but that. Our governing body BABKBA have strict rules in place and if they’re not met the bouts do not go ahead.

"Our main interest is fighter safety and when safety is a factor we are up there with the best.

“Bare knuckle boxing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, which I totally understand. But it’s conducted safely and I personally think it’s safer than White Collar Boxing where fighters only have eight weeks training, which is nowhere near enough in my opinion.”

There will be 15 bouts on the day, with fighters from Wales, Cumbria, Portsmouth, Bognor Regis, Isle of White and Sweden.

There will a medical trauma team on site, with two ambulances with over £50,000 worth of medical kit available if needed. The team will conduct an in depth pre and post medical check.

There are three, two-minute rounds with a referee who can stop the fight.

Celebrities have attended the event previously, such as of Robin Reid, an ex-World Champion boxer and Alex Reid, former pro mixed martial arts fighter and also winner of Celebrity Big Brother.

The bare-knuckle boxing will take place from 12.30pm to 6pm.

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