Maximum Security had won the Kentucky Derby Saturday and then he didn’t. The stewards disqualified the unbeaten colt and moved up 65-1 shot and second-place finisher Country House. One of the most stunning DQs in all of sports. And those who backed the 9-2 favorite took quite the beating.
Holyfield-Tyson II
Arguably the most memorable DQ in boxing history. Mike Tyson was fighting Evander Holyfield when he decided to take a bite out of his legendary opponent’s ear.
Bowe-Golota
Riddick Bowe fought Poland’s Andrew Golota at Madison Square Garden. Golota was putting on a strong show. However, he had been previously been warned for biting and butting. Bowe was nailed with a low blow in the fourth round, resulting in Golota losing a point. The same thing happened in round 6, before the 7th and final round where Golota threw low blow combinations After Golota was DQ’d, Bowe’s corner attacked Golota with a radio, before an all out brawl ensued in the ring. 22 people were injured, 16 arrested and trainer Lou Duva stretchered out after he collapsed in the ring.
Affirmed-Alydar in 1978 Travers
Affirmed and Alydar had a storied rivalry. Affirmed won the Triple Crown with Alydar finishing second in all three races. Later in the summer, they met in the Travers. Affirmed finished first but was disqualified for cutting off Alydar, who was making a move inside him.
Bowe-Tillery I
Riddick Bowe was fighting Elijah Tillery in 1991, Late in the first round, Bowe dropped Tillery. The timekeeper didn’t ring the bell, enabling the round to go on to 3:12. After the bell finally was rung, Bowe threw a jab, resulting in Tillery kicking Bowe three times, and the fighters began a brawl in the ring, before Rock Newman jumped up and dragged Tillery over the ropes and out the ring. Tillery was DQ’d for a flagrant kick.
Poorly executed play by jockey
In January 1990, Sylvester Carmouche surprised everyone at Louisana’s Delta Downs Racetrack by finishing first on 23-1 longshot Landing Officer. However, Carmouche had decided to take advantage of foggy conditions. He had dropped out of the mile-long race while lost from view and rejoined the field as they came round. He won by 24 lengths and came within 1.2 seconds of the track so it raised suspicions. The stewards disqualified him and he received a 10-year ban after the other jockeys in the race testified that Carmouche had not passed them.
Oops
Lightweight Thomas Hamilton-Brown of South Africa, after losing a first-round split decision, went on an eating binge. No big deal, right? Wrong! It was discovered that one of the judges had reversed his scores and Brown was actually the winner but he was unable to make weight for his next bout and was disqualified!
Dancer’s Image DQ’d long after Derby
Dancer’s Image won the 1968 Kentucky Derby. If someone wagered on him, they were paid. Then post-race tests came back positive and the horse was disqualified. A long legal battle ensued but in the end the DQ stood.
Holyfield at the Olympics
At the 1984 Games, Evander Holyfield represented the United States in the light heavyweight division. In the second round of his semi-final with Kevin Barry, Holyfield was disqualified. Referee Gligorije Novicic called for a “break.” Holyfield did not hear the call and threw a punch that dropped Barry. When Barry was unable to continue, Holyfield was disqualified.
