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“Dirty but Fair”: Fans Defend Boxer’s ‘Unsportsmanlike’ Knockout Victory

Published 05/02/2023, 5:30 AM EDT

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Sucker punches or cheap shots have unfortunately been a part of boxing since the early days of the sport. A sucker punch is an unexpected punch thrown by a fighter who is not engaged in a fighting stance or whose opponent is otherwise unaware. The history of sucker punches in the sport dates back to the late 19th century, one such example is a fight that occurred in 1892, between Bob Fitzsimmons and Jack Dempsey. Fitzsimmons threw a sucker punch that knocked out Dempsey, and he was later fined for his conduct.

Another famous example of a sucker punch is what Floyd Mayweather Jr. did to Victor Ortiz, ending a fight with just a couple of punches. Even, the legendary boxing referee came out with an ugly truth about the infamous Mayweather vs. Ortiz fight. Recently, a video went viral on Twitter showing a similar scenery. Boxing Kingdom recently shared a video of a bout between an undefeated fighter and a journeyman opponent. As the famous adage goes, “It’s the punch you don’t see coming that knocks you out”.

And as the journeyman who had no prior victory to his name with 7 losses, tried to touch gloves, only to get knocked out by his opponent. He woke up later on in the video and was seemingly trying to call his opponent’s cheap shot out. However, the fact remains that the bell had already rung and the time was running.

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Fans react to the unconventional KO victory

A recent boxing match has caused controversy among fans, as the victorious fighter delivered a knockout punch to his opponent immediately after the bell had rung. While some have criticized the fighter’s unsportsmanlike behavior, others argue that it was a fair move in the context of the sport.

One user, ironman, pointed out that boxing coaches often advise their fighters not to touch gloves unless the referee asks them to do so before the fight. He argued that fighters are not there to be friends, but to win the match.

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Another user, DriftyFilm, questioned why the losing fighter was trying to touch gloves after the bell had rung.

Another user, Ventrue also weighed in, acknowledging that the move was not against the rules but was nonetheless not “sportsmanlike”.

Similarly, GoRox expressed the hope that other fighters would take note of this incident when facing the victorious boxer in the future.

Moundaw stated that he did not respect the victorious fighter in this situation. But he also pointed out that the phrase “protect yourself at all times” exists for a reason.

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Lastly, Chris-Oso had a more nuanced view, describing the move as “dirty but fair” and admitting to feeling conflicted about it.

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Overall, the incident has sparked a debate among fans about what constitutes ‘fair play’ in boxing. While some argue that the fighter’s conduct was unsportsmanlike, others maintain that it was a legitimate move in the context of the sport.

Watch This Story: Five Times Fans Got Mad at Floyd Mayweather

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Written by:

Chirag Radhyan

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Chirag Radhyan is a Boxing Writer at EssentiallySports. He has authored over 300 articles and loves to talk about the animosity between athletes, leading up to a fight. His coverage of the off-court drama between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury received widespread appreciation from readers.
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Edited by:

Shibu Immanuel