Tweet
Welterweights Jimmy Williams and Issouf Kinda headlined a CES Boxing-promoted card. Williams, (15-0-1, 6 KO’s), is from Connecticut and is part of the CES stable. Kinda, (18-5, 7 KO’s), once an accomplished amateur in his native Burkina Faso, relocated to the US in 2007 and settled in the Bronx.
Kinda, 29, works full-time at a soul food restaurant. Boxing has become a side gig. Despite a decent record that includes a 2012 upset of Mike Arnoutis, his career has had its share of lows.
Naturally, Williams was the house fighter against a Kinda coming off a TKO loss and a nine-month layoff.
Kinda picked up where he left off in the fourth but about 30 seconds in, Williams rabbit-punched him again during the clinch. Again, Kinda motioned to Smoger, who both disregarded the complaint and didn’t issue a warning.
Moments later, they fell into a clinch again. As Smoger stepped in to separate them, Williams fired two more rabbit punches. Kinda responded with a jab. Smoger grabbed both fighters to break their clinch. While he did so, Williams threw another rabbit punch. Kinda attempted to retaliate with a hook, but Williams countered it with a right cross.
Kinda’s hook missed Williams but grazed Smoger. Williams’ right sent Kinda crashing to the canvas. All of this occurred as Smoger—who, in this writer’s opinion, was not in command of the situation—struggled to separate the two. Instead of admonishing both fighters, and calling an official halt to the action, as I would presume, Smoger, inexplicably, began counting Kinda out.
By the time Smoger reached the count of four, ringside doctor Anthony Alessi had hopped into the ring. Kinda began to rise but Dr. Alessi held him down as Smoger waved the bout off.
According to Kinda, who was halfway up when the fight was stopped, he was told to remain on the canvas. His cornermen were livid, leaping into the ring and waving frantically at Smoger.
“No way was he rising,” says Dr. Alessi, a neurologist. “I thought he had a brief loss of consciousness. By the time I get up on the apron, Smoger is up to an eight-count and this guy doesn’t seem to be showing any sign of getting up. Basically, I had a disabled fighter in the ring. I also had a ref who may have been impaired because he got hit too.”
The doctor’s recollection doesn’t match the video. To reiterate, Kinda began rising at four, but nor should a count have commenced given the dual fouls.
Kinda, 29, works full-time at a soul food restaurant. Boxing has become a side gig. Despite a decent record that includes a 2012 upset of Mike Arnoutis, his career has had its share of lows.
Naturally, Williams was the house fighter against a Kinda coming off a TKO loss and a nine-month layoff.
Kinda picked up where he left off in the fourth but about 30 seconds in, Williams rabbit-punched him again during the clinch. Again, Kinda motioned to Smoger, who both disregarded the complaint and didn’t issue a warning.
Moments later, they fell into a clinch again. As Smoger stepped in to separate them, Williams fired two more rabbit punches. Kinda responded with a jab. Smoger grabbed both fighters to break their clinch. While he did so, Williams threw another rabbit punch. Kinda attempted to retaliate with a hook, but Williams countered it with a right cross.
Kinda’s hook missed Williams but grazed Smoger. Williams’ right sent Kinda crashing to the canvas. All of this occurred as Smoger—who, in this writer’s opinion, was not in command of the situation—struggled to separate the two. Instead of admonishing both fighters, and calling an official halt to the action, as I would presume, Smoger, inexplicably, began counting Kinda out.
By the time Smoger reached the count of four, ringside doctor Anthony Alessi had hopped into the ring. Kinda began to rise but Dr. Alessi held him down as Smoger waved the bout off.
According to Kinda, who was halfway up when the fight was stopped, he was told to remain on the canvas. His cornermen were livid, leaping into the ring and waving frantically at Smoger.
“No way was he rising,” says Dr. Alessi, a neurologist. “I thought he had a brief loss of consciousness. By the time I get up on the apron, Smoger is up to an eight-count and this guy doesn’t seem to be showing any sign of getting up. Basically, I had a disabled fighter in the ring. I also had a ref who may have been impaired because he got hit too.”
The doctor’s recollection doesn’t match the video. To reiterate, Kinda began rising at four, but nor should a count have commenced given the dual fouls.
Video of the end of the fight
Comment