Sometimes being a boxing referee requires hazard pay.
Keyshawn Davis scored a hard-fought 10-round unanimous decision victory over Miguel Madueno on Saturday night on the Prudential Center in Newark, nevertheless it was the referee getting struck that was probably the most shocking story of the lightweight bout.
At the tip of the sixth round, Davis appeared to harm Madueno near the bell, after which Madueno got in his face and commenced to trash talk.
Davis responded by shoving Madueno’s face, who then in turn slapped back.
But as an alternative of hitting Davis, Madueno by accident hit the referee — who was attempting to separate the fighters — within the face, staggering the official but not knocking him to the bottom.
Madueno was not disqualified for the incident.
Actress Rosie Perez, who was watching the ESPN Top Ranked Boxing bout, used colourful language in a tweet, arguing Madueno must have been penalized for striking the referee.
“Why the ref didn’t take some extent for getting b*tch slapped is crazy to me!” Perez posted on X.
The three judges scored the fight 99-91 for Davis, who improved to 11-0 (seven knockouts).
Madueno (31-3, 28 KOs) suffered his third defeat, but like his other losses, he lasted until the ultimate bell.
The fight, shown on ESPN, was a rough one during which the boxers each were tackled, lifted, in addition to the referee struck, however the two fighters hugged ultimately after the hard-fought bout.
“We were each tough in there, and neither of our wills got broke,” Davis, a 2020 Olympic silver medalist, said afterward, in accordance with The Ring.
