Bizarre: Commonwealth Games boxer wins without throwing a single punch
Namibian boxer Tryagain Morning Ndevelo advanced to the men’s 60kg round of 16 at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow without throwing a single punch after his opponent Anthony Joseph missed the call time on Sunday.
Joseph, representing Trinidad and Tobago, was due to face Ndevelo in the opening round of the competition. However, when the bell rang to start the first round, Joseph was nowhere to be seen.
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The Trinidad and Tobago boxer eventually arrived at the ring, but officials stopped him from entering because he had reported after the call time. As a result, Ndevelo was awarded a walkover victory and progressed to the round of 16 without contesting a single punch.
The bizarre outcome keeps alive Ndevelo’s hopes of winning a Commonwealth Games boxing medal at his third appearance at the multi-sport event.
Elsewhere, Australia’s Paul Trainor opened his Commonwealth Games campaign with a controversial stoppage victory over Scotland’s Alan Perrie in the men’s 80kg category.
The referee stopped the contest with 37 seconds remaining in the second round because of an injury sustained by Perrie after Trainor knocked out his opponent’s mouthguard.
There had already been a brief stoppage earlier in the round to allow the ringside doctor to examine the inside of Perrie’s mouth. After another exchange, the referee called off the bout, awarding Trainor the victory.
Perrie was furious with the decision and walked straight out of the arena. The home crowd, who had cheered the Scottish boxer and booed Trainor before the contest, reacted with even louder boos when the fight was stopped.
“I understand. It’s months of sacrifice. It would be bitter for him. I understand that emotions run high,” Trainor said after making a winning Commonwealth Games debut.
“All is fair in love and war. It feels awesome to start Australia off with a win. I’m sure there will be more to come. The aim is gold, so I need four more wins.”
Trainor had expected Perrie to make an aggressive start and that was exactly how the contest unfolded. The Scottish boxer was ahead 4-1 on the judges’ scorecards after the opening round.
However, the Australian settled into the contest in the second round and repeatedly found his range with his left hand and right hook. By the time the referee stepped in, Trainor’s shoes and uniform had been marked by blood from Perrie’s mouth injury.
“He came out hot, which we knew was going to happen. I feel like I managed to use it against him a little bit,” Trainor said.
“In the second round, I started to find that left hand and right hook and, as you saw, his mouthguard was coming out and he was very bloody.
“Obviously I wanted to keep fighting and I wanted to keep going, but a win’s a win and I will take it, so a win by any means necessary.”
Trainor said he was not surprised the contest was stopped early, although he believed it might have continued into the third round.
“I definitely felt like it was only going to get worse,” he said.
“I know he’s a nice kid. We were sparring together a couple of weeks ago in Belfast. It’s definitely not the way you want to be ending a fight in front of your home crowd.
“So I understand emotions can be high. All respect to him.”
While the crowd largely backed Perrie, Trainor also had plenty of support inside the arena.
His parents moved from the Irish village of Draperstown in County Derry to Australia before he was born, and several family members had travelled to Glasgow for the Games.
His mother, father, sister and relatives from both Australia and Ireland were in attendance to watch his Commonwealth Games debut.
“It means the world to me. I could hear my mum, my sister, my dad and my uncles,” Trainor said.
“I heard the boos, but I could also hear my family. I knew I had to do it for them. That’s why I came out a little bit faster in the second round and managed to force the stoppage.”
– Ends
