The moment the referee 'assisted' in the controversial knockout

David Adeleye - Jeamie Tshikeva - Kearney

The match took place on the morning of April 6. Boxers David Adeleye and Jeamie Tshikeva competed for the British heavyweight title. The match was dramatic and tense until a controversial incident occurred.

In round 6, the two fighters were hugging each other when referee Ron Kearney slapped Tshikeva's glove and shouted "take it off". However, as soon as Tshikeva loosened her grip and became careless, David Adeleye immediately threw a punch to the face, causing his opponent to fall.

Surprisingly, referee Kearney considered this a legal punch and started counting to 10 with Tshikeva. The boxer born in 1993 overcame this count to return to the match. But not long after, he was knocked out again after a series of punches from Adeleye.

This time, he could not beat the referee's count and accepted defeat. While Adeleye ran to his corner to celebrate the knockout victory, Tshikeva's corner had fierce reactions to the referee's decision.

Many boxing experts believe that Ron Kearney made an error in his decision, unintentionally aiding this controversial knockout. They believe that after calling "separate", the referee must separate the two fighters before anyone can attack. Kearney's slap on Tshikeva's glove further caused the boxer to lose his guard, thinking that his opponent was not allowed to attack. From there, he took the full punch from Adeleye.

Barry Jones, a former world champion boxer, said: "The referee clearly slapped the glove. Tshikeva's team has reason to protest and appeal."

Social media also exploded with controversy, mostly criticizing referee Kearney's way of running the match.

DUC KHUE

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/khoanh-khac-trong-tai-tiep-tay-cho-cu-knock-out-gay-tranh-cai-20250406112053832.htm