Heavyweight Boxer Looks at Opponent, Walks Out of Ring After Opening Bell

A professional heavyweight bout ended just seconds after it started in one of the most bizarre qualifications the sport has ever seen. 

Boxers Curtis Harper and Efe Ajagba were ready to rumble for six rounds in a Premier Boxing Champions undercard fight on FS1 in Minneapolis. But immediately after the opening bell rang to signal the start of the fight, Harper climbed out of the ring and headed back to his dressing room through a sea of boos from a seriously pissed off crowd. 

I’ve never seen it before in my life,” one bewildered commentator said. The fans here in Minnesota are really upset.” 

A rep for Ajagba—who is something of a phenom with a 5-0 record—implied that the Nigerian Olympian had scared the will to fight out of Harper. 

“He defined what the most feared man in boxing means—no punch necessary. A look and the opponent runs, runs out of the ring,” Ringstar Sports CEO Richard Schaefer, Ajagba’s promoter, told ESPN.

“We waited a long time to have another heavyweight who instills fear in his opponents by just being in the ring and looking at them. The last time a fighter instilled that kind of fear in an opponent was Mike Tyson,” Schaeger added.

Harper told PBC reporter Jordan Hardy a different story. 

“I spoke to Harper and he said he walked out of the ring because he’s not getting paid enough to fight and that he wants respect,” Hardy tweeted. 

Ajagba was ruled winner by way of disqualification at one second of the first round. His record improved to 6-0, while Harper’s fell to 13-6. He will almost certainly face suspension.

h/t: USA Today