Unusual moments aren’t exactly rare in boxing. In June 1997, Mike Tyson infamously bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear. This, you guessed it, brought their fight to a shocking halt. In 1998, referee Mills Lane accidentally injured Bernard Hopkins during his bout against Robert Allen. And, unfortunately, forced a stoppage. Yet even those bizarre incidents pale in comparison to what unfolded today in Nigeria during a boxing match.

According to reports, local boxer Basit Adebayo and Loren Japhet were halfway through their eight-round boxing match at Lagos’ Balmoral Convention Center in the Federal Palace Hotel this Friday. But suddenly, viewers at home were left utterly puzzled, scratching their heads, as the referee began coughing uncontrollably while the fight unfolded in the packed arena. So, what happened? 

Well, the thing is, the third man in the ring stopped the fight immediately upon realizing someone had set off tear gas in the arena. This, of course, allowed both fighters to return to their corners to recover from the unusual and surprising attack. They were both seen wheezing and spluttering as they made their way to their corners, and towels were distributed to everyone to cover their faces.

“It does look like we’re going to have to take a break for people to get themselves back,” said one commentator. “We’ve had confirmation that, apparently, there is some tear gas in the air.”

If you thought a notorious individual was out to cause chaos, think again. Because the cause of the incident was none other than the event’s own security guards. According to The Sun, guards had let off the tear gas to control and usher out people who were attending the event without tickets. The good thing is, if you can call it that, the fight eventually resumed after the fans in question were booted out. 

21-year-old Adebayo went on to secure victory and became the WBO Africa super lightweight champion, a title which was previously vacant. But the wild and the never-heard-of-before story doesn’t end there. 

Other boxers were also affected by the tear gas

Joe Laws from the United Kingdom, set for a grudge match against Elvis Ahorga, was supposed to make his ring walk after Adebayo’s fight. However, he took off his wraps and walked out of the arena after getting caught up in tear gas. The event was promoted by former world champion Amir Khan and featured a mix of pros and celebrities. 

While the tear gas incident helped it make headlines, the rest of the fight appears to have gone down without a hitch. Former super welterweight champion Samuel Antwi secured a first-round knockout win over Congo’s Paul Kamanga. In another fight, Portsmouth’s Michael McKinson defeated Afikun Segun Gbenga on points. 

The main event of the night saw internet personality Carter Efe secure a unanimous decision over Portable. 

When they say anything can happen in a fight, they mean it literally. In a first, boxers, mid-fight, had to stop fighting because tear gas made it impossible to continue. But were you surprised?