WATCH: Referee nearly knocked out during championship fight

Ryan Songalia

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WATCH: Referee nearly knocked out during championship fight

AFP

Arthur Mercante Jr takes one for the team during the Badou Jack-James DeGale super middleweight unification fight in Brooklyn

MANILA, Philippines – Call it an occupational hazard.

New York referee Arthur Mercante Jr earned every penny of his salary during the WBC/IBF super middleweight title unification bout between Badou Jack and James DeGale on Saturday, January 14 (Sunday Manila time) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Mercante was stepping between the two fighters after the fifth round when a Jack left hook after the bell appeared to catch him on the chin.

Mercante, 57, stumbled briefly before regaining his balance and grabbing a sip of water from Jack’s corner.

“My bad,” Jack said in the corner.

“Yeah, you better knock him out now,” Mercante replied.

The fight was a wild one as Jack was knocked down in the first round and DeGale was dropped in the twelfth. It ultimately ended in a draw with one judge scoring the fight 114-112 in favor of DeGale while the other two scored it even at 113-113.

Afterwards Jack indicated he’d be moving up to the light heavyweight division.

Jack earned one trophy by knocking DeGale’s front tooth out in the tenth round. Luckily Mercante left the arena with his smile intact. – Rappler.com

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