In the autumn of last year, WA Management acted as the event safety advisor and competent persons for the 2025 World Boxing Championships, held at the Liverpool Arena.
The event ran from the 4th to the 14th of September 2025 and was the first edition of the Championships organised by World Boxing, the International Olympic Committee-recognised governing body of the sport. It was also the first ever event where both male and female boxers competed in Olympic-style boxing.
WA Management provided a total of 22 days of support, which included:
- 7 days pre-event
- 3 days supervising event build safety
- 10 days at event
- 2 days supervising post-event take down
This support was delivered by three members of our team: Commercial Lead and Managing Director William Whittaker (BSc (Hons), MSc, MILT, CMIOSH, CQP MCQI), Technical Lead and Senior SHEQ Consultant Jake Sansom (BSc (Hons), MSc, CertIOSH, PCQI), and SHEQ Consultant Elizabeth Davis (BA (Hons), TechIOSH).
Prior to the event, the team attended planning meetings to ensure safety requirements were met at every step of the planning process, and worked on the development of risk assessments, safety plans, and policies.
When visiting the site pre-event, they assessed the capacity of the site and had input into the design and flow of the venue following safety best practices. This ensured the event could run efficiently while minimising health and safety risks to the participants, staff, and attendees.
To prepare event staff, WA was responsible for checking and approving subcontractor risk assessments and insurances, supporting the event team in addressing issues under their remit, and delivering readiness training.
This training was delivered across three sessions in the lead up to the Championships and presented different potential scenarios that staff had to discuss remedial actions for.
Once the event had begun, the team were hard at work ensuring that health and safety was continuously supported – making sure staff were inducted every day of the event, checking the venue multiple times a day and producing a daily report, overseeing the temporary infrastructure , all while being available to provide ad hoc advice and support throughout the entire process.
A typical day for the consultants onsite would start with a coffee first thing for the morning walk around – an inspection of all areas, checking walkways for cables and getting to see the whole arena before the doors opened. Throughout the day, they would spend time watching the training area and the competition itself from the stands in between checking the different areas, interspersed with periodic LOC meeting. Occasionally if there was some downtime they popped out for a bit of fresh air to take in the sights of Liverpool – a mix of old naval history and modern history including The Beatles statues!
With nearly 8,000 spectator tickets sold, and 92% of attendees describing their experience positively, the event was a clear success!
WA Director William Whittaker reflects on our participation in the event:
“It is always a delight and an honour to be chosen to support the health and safety of these major sporting events, particularly in the case of the 2025 World Boxing Championships where we are working on an event with such historical importance for the sport.
To have the opportunity to share our expertise with such an important worldwide event is very special, and a great opportunity for our team as well – both in experience and in witnessing a part of Boxing history!”
WA Management have supported a number of high-profile events in the past, such as the World Taekwondo Grand Prix Final 2023, ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships 2023, and Formula Kite European Championships 2024 – and look forward to continuing to assist in the safe running of future British-hosted sporting events!