A shocking scene unfolded in the Dominican Republic when a boxing referee, Smaylin Valdez, was suddenly punched and attacked in the ring after a fight.
The incident happened on Saturday night at the Juan Pablo Duarte Olympic Centre in Santo Domingo. Just after Valdez raised the winner’s hand, a man, clearly unhappy with the result, stepped into the ring and hit him hard, as seen in a video.
The punch made Valdez stumble backwards. As Valdez tried to leave the ring, another person threw a punch at him, which led to more people surrounding him and hitting him repeatedly.
He was badly beaten and eventually fell through the ropes onto the floor. Even then, the attackers kept hitting him.
The attack happened just after Norbelto Jiménez was declared the winner of a 10-round super bantamweight fight against Marcelino Nieves. It’s still not clear whether the attackers were connected to Nieves.
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Boxing bout organisers' statement on what happened
Shuan Boxing Promotion, the organisers of the event, said they were very upset about what happened. A statement released by them said:
We deeply regret some inappropriate behavior that occurred during the event, perpetrated by individuals who do not represent the values and philosophy of our company. We completely disassociate ourselves from these acts and reiterate our commitment to integrity, respect, and fair sport.
The statement continued:
We extend our sincere apologies to the public and all attendees who may have been affected by this behavior beyond our control. We are taking the necessary measures to ensure similar situations do not occur in future editions.
We hope that, beyond these isolated incidents, you enjoyed the boxing matches and the level of sport that has been so painstakingly prepared to provide a spectacle worthy of our fans.
Sadly, this is not the first time Valdez has been attacked. In June 2024, boxer Julio de Jesús punched him after his fight was stopped in the fifth round.
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That time, Valdez hit back, and de Jesús was given a lifetime ban by the Dominican Republic National Boxing Commission.
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