If you go strictly by the rulebook, neither boxers nor referees are supposed to lay hands on each other beyond the bounds of officiating. But how often do we see rules upheld to the letter in boxing? Often, but not always. Last night’s event, organized by Shuan Boxing Promotions at the Pabellon de Karate, Centro Olimpico in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, proved just that.

Following the successful Angel Cruz vs. Perales Mauro bout on March 28th, last night, the promotion hosted the event where Norbelto Jimenez fought Marcelino Nieves in the main event. However, things went south badly, and the sporting contest turned into a chaotic spectacle.

Expectations were high since Nieves was making his return to the ring after a two-year absence. Entering with a flawless 19-0 record, El Mundo was determined to win. Meanwhile, Jimenez, who had suffered a second-round RTD loss to Noel Reyes Cepeda last year at the same venue, was looking to bounce back. However, as the bantamweight fight unfolded, things took a bizarre turn. A viral video, originally shared by Brunch Boxing and reposted by @dantheboxingman on X, captured the chaos.

Captioned “‼️THIS IS INSANE‼️REFEREE GETS JUMPED BY MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN THE RING‼️😳😳,” the clip shows a referee being viciously attacked by several individuals in the ring after the fight. The brawl was so brutal that some reports suggest the referee was punched out of the ring, onto the floor. While official scorecards and the exact trigger for the brawl remain undisclosed, speculation points to an illegal move by Nieves—locking arms with Jimenez and shoving him to the canvas—as a possible catalyst. A formal investigation is pending, but the incident has already sparked heated debate. Even Claressa Shields expressed her shock at the shameful incident. “This is FK’N RIDICULOUS!!!!! This is sad!!!!!” Shields wrote, responding to the clip from Brunch Boxing.

However, this isn’t the first time such mayhem has broken out under the banner of Shuan Boxing Promotions. Those who follow the sport will recall the infamous incident last June involving Julio de Jesus Rodriguez during his bout against Angel Cruz Johnson at the Pabellon de Esgrima. That fight ended controversially in the 2nd-round when the referee stopped the action and awarded Johnson the win, prompting Rodriguez to retaliate with a shocking sucker-punch to the unsuspecting referee.

As if ripped from a movie script, the referee, Smaylin Valdez, didn’t initially respond, walking away calmly. But moments later, as Rodriguez returned to his corner, Valdez charged across the ring and launched a wild overhand punch of his own at the boxer. A team member intercepted it just in time. Valdez had to be restrained and eventually left the ring, clearly furious.

Fast-forward to now, and the outrage sparked by last night’s events has the boxing world buzzing once again.

Controversy in the ring, while comments draw parallels

Instead of condemning the controversial moment, one user sarcastically wrote, “This what they should have done in the roach fight,” referencing the March 1st bout between Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jr., which ended in a controversial draw. The reason? Tank unexpectedly took a knee, claiming grease from his hair had gotten into his eyes. However, many fans believed he went down as a result of a punch from Roach, raising questions about whether the referee missed a potential knockdown.

That frustration resonated with others online. Another user sarcastically wrote, “Let’s normalize beating on refs for poor performances,” highlighting how, in many fights, a crowd often expresses anger over the bad performance of a particular boxer, attributing a loss to a referee.

Another user chimed in with, “They should have done this to the ref from the Navarette vs Suarez fight.” Why, you ask? Because, in that bout, after the decision had already been rendered, ESPN aired a replay from a different angle, suggesting that the cut on Emanuel Navarrete’s left eyebrow may have been caused by a legal punch from Charly Suarez.

Another user added, “This is what boxing needs,” expressing the growing frustration among fans who believe referees often have too much unchecked power, power that sometimes turns clear losses into questionable wins. But of course, not everyone supported the actions. In the end, one concerned commenter wrote, “They going to jail smh.” In fact, more reactions expressed shock at the unsportsmanlike conduct. “Smh leave that Hood street shit out my sport,” wrote a user while another stated, “Y’all this is sad we have to do better.” Indeed, it was a sad sight for boxing lovers worldwide.

While it remains unclear whether any legal action will follow, there’s no doubt the incident violated boxing’s professional code and crossed the line of acceptable conduct inside the ring. So what’s your take on the fight? Was the brawl a step too far, or a boiling point finally reached?