The American boxer Andre Dirrel has apologised after his uncle Leon Lawson Jr, who is also a member of his coaching team, punched his opponent after their super-middleweight title fight at the MGM National Harbor near Washington.
Dirrell was awarded the fight for the interim IBF super-middleweight title after his opponent, José Uzcátegui of Venezuela, was disqualified for punching after the bell in the eighth round.
While Dirrell was receiving medical attention, Lawson Jr entered the ring and sucker-punched Uzcátegui, landing a left hook to the jaw before being restrained. The confrontation also sparked fights among fans.
“I’m sorry for what my coach has done,” Dirrell said. “My coach is my family, my uncle, and he was worried. He cares for me. He loves me. Please forgive him.”
According to Showtime, which broadcast the fight, local police in Maryland are now seeking Lawson over the incident.
Dirrell’s co-headliner Gary Russell Jr also apologized for the night’s events. “I want to apologize for the gladiators,” Russell said after he beat Oscar Escandon to successfully defend his WBC featherweight title. “The Dirrell camp, sometimes emotions build up and take the best of us. Please forgive them.”
