Boxing is a sport that is both beautiful and pristine. Two combatants, each striking the front of the other’s head and torso with one fist. There is no way to protect yourself or get an advantage, not even with a lot of money. Training and determination are more important than raw physical potential. It’s very pretty.
However, every once in a while, we get a glimpse of the sport’s seedier side. Many of us have trouble reconciling the positive and negative aspects of this beautiful, gruesome sport after witnessing it.
Dakota Linger stops Josue Vargas 😱#BerlangaAngulo pic.twitter.com/MsmnbMVPtH
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) June 12, 2022
Boxing is a sport that is both beautiful and pristine. Two combatants, each striking the front of the other’s head and torso with one fist. There is no way to protect yourself or get an advantage, not even with a lot of money. Training and determination are more important than raw physical potential. It’s very pretty.
However, every once in a while, we get a glimpse of the sport’s seedier side. Many of us have trouble reconciling the positive and negative aspects of this beautiful, gruesome sport after witnessing it.
Dakota Linger gets the upset win in round 2 and stops Josue Vargas #boxing #VargasLinger #BerlangaAngulo pic.twitter.com/BPXa6S0Rp7
— Curran Bhatia (@CurranBhatia) June 12, 2022
After first ruling against a knockdown, Lipton allowed the fight to continue despite Josue Vargas being dizzy and unable to continue. Even after he was knocked down through the ropes and was only partially conscious and staggering back to his feet when Lipton gave the order to continue, he continued to fight. Lipton should have intervened sooner, but he waited until three inspectors from the New York State Commission and ringside doctors went onto the apron to call a halt to the fight.
At 2:06 of the second round, the referee called a halt to the fight, and Vargas was taken to Bellevue Hospital for observation.
Worryingly, this comes only days after South African boxer Simiso Buthelezi passed away after suffering a brain bleed during a battle in Durban against Siphesihle Mntungwa.
Very scary in South Africa please 🙏🏼 for Simiso Buthelezi (4-1). At 2:43 of the 10th & final round, Siphesihle Mntungwa (7-1-2) falls through the ropes but then Buthelezi appears to lose his understanding of the present situation. Mntungwa takes the WBF African lightweight title pic.twitter.com/YhfCI623LB
— Tim Boxeo (@TimBoxeo) June 5, 2022
Buthelezi appeared lost and began firing punches into empty space in the tenth round, when he was already comfortably up on all of the judges’ cards. The 24-year-old was taken to the hospital and put into an induced coma after the referee called an end to the battle. On Wednesday, news spread across the boxing community that he had died as a result of his wounds.
Sadly, it has been reported that his opponent, Siphesihle Mntungwa, is on the verge of suicide due to the barrage of hate he has received since Buthelezi’s death. After the sad event, he alleges that even his neighbors turned against him.
South African boxer Siphesihle Mntungwa has said he’s received mass abuse after Simiso Buthelezi died following their fight: “I just can’t take it anymore. One thing is left for me – I am going to kill myself… I did not kill Simiso. All I wanted was to win.” [@SowetanLIVE]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) June 10, 2022
Despite its ferocious nature, boxing is also innocent and lovely. However, this is hardly a question of life and death. The referee’s top priority should always be the safety of the combatant. Nothing else matters at this time. A referee of Ron Lipton’s experience should have known better than to allow this to continue.
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The referee, however, does not stand alone in this situation. Josue Vargas’s camp as a whole needs to have its credentials revoked. They were solely concerned with winning and didn’t give a hoot about their man’s safety. The fight should have been stopped when the corner representing Vargas threw all of their towels in the referee’s face.
Whats a fucking unexpected stoppage!!!! That’s def an upset!!! Wow!!! #JosueVargas #MSG #TopRank pic.twitter.com/bSv4BSvfGp
— Kenny (@KOK3NNY) June 12, 2022
The New York Commission needs to ask some hard questions of itself. It’s a miracle nothing terrible happened at Madison Square Garden.
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