Even with its reputation for drama and spectacle, it’s doubtful Misfits Boxing expected its latest event would descend into such chaos. The crossover promotion’s latest show in Newcastle drew attention after reports confirmed that police arrived to quell widespread disturbances, including fights that broke out at the Utilita Arena.
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One of the strongest critiques of the Misfits event came from former champion Savannah Marshall. For someone who has spent close to a decade in the sport, witnessing such a pandemonium was completely unfamiliar. Marshall has shared the ring with some of the boxing’s biggest names and is now signed with Jake Paul‘s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP).
“Misfits boxing in Newcastle. Worse show I’ve ever been to. Riots in the arena. People getting squirted with ammonia outside. Armed response being called,” a screenshot of Marshall’s message, shared by IFN Boxing showed.
“Yeah, the boxing side is a laugh, but it comes to the point where I was like, ‘What is this rubbish?’ I can see someone get seriously hurt as well. How can you box when you don’t even know how to defend yourself? People doing spins in the ring getting punched in the back of the head.”
Marshall’s comments largely stemmed from what she witnessed firsthand. Several reports confirmed that spectators started fighting in the bar and the concourse areas. Soon videos of the violent exchanges gained traction on social media, leading to the arrival of police, who reportedly arrested four individuals.
“We are aware of videos circulating online in relation to disturbances involving a number of people in attendance at a boxing event in Newcastle city centre yesterday,” the statement from authorities read. “Officers attended and arrested four individuals on suspicion of assault, with no serious injuries reported to us.”
“We want to make it clear that behavior of this kind will not be tolerated. The safety of the public is our utmost priority, and inquiries are ongoing to identify all of those involved. Anyone with information should contact us online via direct message on social media or submit a report form on our website.”
‼️ Savannah Marshall gives her take on the Misfits show in Newcastle yesterday 😬
But as Marshall wrote, the fights were only a part of the story. Incidents leading up to the event revealed a pattern.
Headlined by Jordan McCann and Charlie Cox, aka Big Stacks, the card took place on September 12. The days leading up to the fight night were marked by a series of incidents. On the media day, someone “sucker-punched” Big Stacks, leading him to hire a former bare-knuckle boxing champion as his personal security.
In another incident, security had to intervene after Joe Laws and Conor Benn’s half-brother Harley Benn went after each other during face-off.
At the weigh-ins, McCann slapped Big Stacks before security stepped in to separate the two. Earlier, McCann had also claimed that he was arrested when he landed at the Manchester Airport just days before the fight.
Fight night brought more controversy, both inside and outside the ring.
The fight between Laws and Benn attracted severe scrutiny after the referee stopped the fight. Following a headbutt from Laws, Benn fell onto the canvas. After declaring it a no-knockdown, the referee watched Benn’s condition closely before stopping the fight. He likely felt that Benn was unable to continue.
Making matters worse, Benn was declared the winner because Laws’ headbutt was deemed intentional. On social media, backlash followed, with several fans calling out the decision, saying the headbutt was not deliberate.
A similar controversy followed the headliner. The highly anticipated grudge fight between Britain’s self-styled “Hardest Man” and the rapper ended in the second round. Stacks was declared the winner by TKO after the referee and ringside doctor decided to stop the fight because McCann sustained a swollen shut eye.
If the controversy had been restricted to the ring, perhaps it would have been different. But that was not the case.
Before Newcastle: Misfits Boxing’s familiar brush with controversy
The combination of crowd violence, poor-quality fights, and constant drama outside the ring likely led established boxing figures like Savannah Marshall to criticize the overall quality of the Misfits event.
Looking at its history, the Newcastle case is not an unprecedented one.
Misfits Boxing has repeatedly found itself at the center of controversy. Three years ago, the Dillon Danis-Logan Paul fight was preceded by a bitter social media feud involving Danis and Paul’s fiancee. The fight itself ended dramatically after Danis resorted to an MMA guillotine choke and takedown.
As a result, he was disqualified. The aftermath featured a huge brawl involving security and members of the team.
The same year, KSI’s bout against Joe Fournier also drew attention. Initially, KSI was declared a winner by KO. However, footage reportedly showed an elbow from KSI landing on Fournier, resulting in the knockout. Following Fournier’s appeal and a review by the Professional Boxing Association (PBA), the fight was recorded as a no-contest.
Misfits Boxing has faced regulatory friction with PBA. Its decision to operate outside traditional British boxing governance has also attracted debate.
Its tendency to experiment with unconventional formats such as tag-team contests further added to Misfits Boxing’s reputation.
So taken together, those past incidents help explain why the disorder surrounding the Newcastle event could be viewed as yet another chapter in the promotion’s history of attracting spectacle and controversy.