Boxer Survives Phantom Headbutt

A bit of controversy at a boxing match this past weekend at the BankAtlantic Center, which hosted a WBC Championship bout between two super welterweights -- Sergio Martinez, the interim champ, and Kermit Citron, a former IBF champ who used to train in West Palm.HBO showed the fight, which was...

By Thomas Francis

February 17, 2009

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A bit of controversy at a boxing match this past weekend at the BankAtlantic Center, which hosted a WBC Championship bout between two super welterweights -- Sergio Martinez, the interim champ, and Kermit Citron, a former IBF champ who used to train in West Palm.

HBO showed the fight, which was a big old bore till round 7. Watch the video below and you'll hear boos from the bloodthirsty gallery. But near the end of that round, Martinez landed a left that hit Cintron so hard he mistook it for a headbutt. "It was a fucking headbutt," he can be heard saying to the ref -- an argument he was still making after the fight. The ref initially counted Cintron out, but reversed his decision, saying that Cintron regained his feet on the ninth count. Cintron somehow managed to stay upright through 12 rounds and rallied late to earn a draw. Naturally, both fighters claimed post-fight that they'd earned the victory.

Here's video of rounds 7 and 8. (And no, you don't have to wait long to hear from the always-emphatic Larry Merchant.)

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