Fans of boxing witnessed a multitude of exciting moments in the ring on Friday night (Sept. 20, 2024), but not everything ended in a dramatic finish. One of the sport’s most promising heavyweight prospects missed out on a knockout victory when his opponent couldn’t keep his mouthpiece in.
Following Callum Walsh’s impressive knockout in his Ireland debut, Top Rank Boxing featured more young talent in a matchup between Richard Torrez, an undefeated heavyweight on the rise, and veteran fighter Joey Dawejko. Torrez, a 25-year-old powerhouse, was heavily favored to secure a win and another knockout victory.
Torrez seemed to be heading towards that result, landing powerful shots that shook Dawejko early on and even dislodged his opponent’s mouthpiece. Despite surprise resilience from Dawejko, Torrez continued to dominate in the middle rounds. However, Dawejko’s repeated issue with losing his mouthpiece led to a disqualification by the referee.
This was an uncommon stoppage, as fighters typically have properly fitted mouthpieces and only lose them when hit hard. Dawejko’s struggles with his mouthpiece meant the referee couldn’t allow him to face Torrez without proper protection.
Watch the highlights from the fight, culminating in the unfortunate stoppage:
