Boxing is a cruel sport. It is not kind to its biggest lovers as the boxers have to wear the injuries like a crown of honor. Who is a better example of that than Heather Hardy, as she might have to give up the combat sport because of her terrible injuries? The injuries sustained by Hardy over her 28-bout career are not normal. A few days ago, the former WBO featherweight champion opened up about the life-threatening brain injury that she sustained over her illustrious career after repeated head trauma.

It has been a year since Hardy has stepped into the ring, and we might never see her again fighting in her beloved sport. She has tried to keep the ‘Heat’ alive as she was preparing for her fight in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. But with blurry vision and an inability to function properly, she had to give up on that fight. Hardy shared her frustration and sadness with fans through a series of tweets, opening up about her injuries and their impact, while also hinting at what the future might hold for her.

Trying hard to keep ‘The Heat’ alive

Heather Hardy gave an update about her fight with CTE via ‘X’ where she revealed that she still had not received an MRI since she got hurt training for a BKFC fight. She then highlighted how unforgiving combat sports are and shared her struggles. She further stated that she tried everything to get back in the ring, but the only way for her to get better was to rest for almost a year.

“I still haven’t gotten an MRI since I got hurt training for the BKFC fight. I got a doctor to give me glasses but he told me my eyes were fine it’s my brain. The glasses don’t help me see. I can’t sleep or eat, and the only way to get better is to rest for 9 months.🥊,” she lamented.

Heather Hardy’s next message emphasized how isolating and suffocating the illness can be. In a glaring indictment of her team, the 24-3 boxer pointed out that while people may appear supportive, in the end, they don’t truly care, and you’re left to look after yourself. “Like a warning. All them people who hugged me and stood with me by the scales don’t give a f**k that i almost died. Imagine “i warned you”. Via text. My life never mattered? 🥊 4am haven’t slept again but gotta get to work in 2 hours FOH,” she bewailed, her helplessness evident from her confession.

This message was also for the fans and people who were not taking her injury seriously and how her struggles have been largely overlooked by the boxing community. She had previously stated how she earned a minimum amount during her past fights and had to depend on monthly cheques during her career to sustain her livelihood.

Heather Hardy: Not Angry, But Begging

Hardy is visibly frustrated and sad over the lack of attention and help she is getting. She was a former world champion, the whole world was at her feet. Fans loved her. She was a big draw. But now that she is in serious need of help, no one is there for her. “I made so many calls and nobody can give me a resource to a therapist. Everyone wants to know if I’m getting “unreasonably angry” and i keep saying NO IM UNREASONABLY SAD BEGGING for help. Maybe CTE is different for girls. I was a world champion FFS,” she bemoaned about the apathy evident in the way she was treated.

The message by Heather Hardy perfectly shows her frustration over the turn of events. Her career in the ring might be over, but that does not mean she should be sidelined. She deserves proper medical care and we hope that she gets better sooner rather than later. It’s time that ‘The Heat’ gets to enjoy the fruits of her labor and have a better life after receiving the proper treatment. However, it remains to be seen if the boxing community rallies to help her see through the tough time.

What do you think about Hardy and her future? Is a delay in receiving proper medical care not dangerous? What do you think?