In combat sports, few symbols carry as much historical weight, universal understanding, and immediate finality as the white towel hurled through the ropes. For generations, throwing in the towel has served as the definitive gesture of surrender—a desperate, protective intervention made by a trainer to save a badly hurt fighter from taking catastrophic and unnecessary physical punishment. Yet inside London’s O2 Arena on Saturday night, that unwritten code of ring safety collided head-on with the absolute letter of boxing law when referee Amy Pu twice refused to acknowledge a corner’s attempt to halt a heavyweight bout, directly preceding a brutal second-round knockout.
The contest featured rising 20-year-old heavyweight prospect Adam Olaniyan against 41-year-old veteran Dan Garber, staged on the high-profile undercard of Daniel Dubois’ heavyweight victory over Fabio Wardley. What was expected to be a routine developmental assignment for the unbeaten Olaniyan rapidly turned into one of the most polarizing and fiercely debated officiating episodes of recent years. The controversy unfolded in the second round as the young Olaniyan began to overpower his veteran opponent, raining heavy blows on Garber and shifting the momentum entirely in his favor. Sensing that their fighter had absorbed more than enough damage, Garber’s corner took the decisive step to bring the bout to an end by tossing a white towel across the canvas.
Rather than stepping between the two heavyweights to wave off the action as virtually everyone inside the arena expected, referee Amy Pu made the extraordinary decision to keep the contest alive. Noticing the towel lying inside the field of play, Pu kicked the piece of white fabric out of the squared circle and motioned for the heavyweights to keep fighting. Inside the ropes, Garber had shown visible dismay at his corner’s initiative to withdraw him, seemingly eager to fight on despite the mounting onslaught. Taking Garber’s posture and her own assessment into account, Pu allowed the action to proceed without interruption.
The consequences of that judgment were swift and punishing. With Garber still trapped in the danger zone and visibly struggling to defend himself, Olaniyan wasted no time in unleashing a ferocious, unanswered flurry of punches. The barrage proved too overwhelming for the 41-year-old from Bradford, sending him crashing heavily to the canvas. In the midst of the violent finish, Garber’s distressed corner had already thrown a second towel into the ring in another frantic bid to stop the contest. That second towel was also disregarded in real-time by Pu, who finally stepped in to administer the technical knockout only after Garber hit the floor, bringing an official halt to the bout in round two.
The alarming nature of the finish was underscored immediately after the referee finally called time. Ringside cameras and spectators witnessed Garber slumped on his stool, being administered oxygen by medical personnel to aid his recovery from the concussive blows absorbed in those extended seconds. The sight of an injured heavyweight requiring supplemental oxygen after his own team had tried twice to surrender sparked immediate, widespread concern throughout the venue and across the boxing world.
From a regulatory perspective, Pu’s refusal to stop the contest based solely on the corner’s intervention was technically permitted under British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) regulations. While common perception holds that a towel thrown into the ring automatically terminates a contest, BBBofC rules explicitly clarify that the gesture carries no automatic authority. Under British officiating governance, the referee inside the ring remains the sole arbiter of a fight’s status and holds exclusive power to determine whether a bout should continue or be called to a halt. While it is exceptionally rare for an official to overrule the wishes of a fighter’s primary support team—who are generally presumed to possess the closest understanding of their charge’s physical condition—the governing framework leaves that final determination entirely in the hands of the third person inside the ropes.
Despite the technical justification provided by the rulebook, the visual reality of the incident provoked intense backlash. Broadcast live by global sports streaming platform DAZN, video footage of Pu actively kicking the white towel off the ring apron and allowing the fight to continue spread across social media within minutes, generating millions of views and intense scrutiny from fans, analysts, and fellow professionals. The consensus among viewers was that the referee had placed a fighter’s long-term health and well-being at grave and unneeded risk.
Reactions across digital platforms were overwhelmingly critical of the handling of the stoppage. One viewer posting on X voiced immediate fury over the perceived danger to the veteran fighter, writing plainly that the official had nearly caused severe harm to Dan Garber by kicking the towel out of the ring. Another observer focused heavily on the medical aftermath and the fundamental logic of corner retirements, stating that seeing Garber on oxygen after Pu refused the corner’s towel showed why rules must be overhauled. The commenter argued that the arrival of a towel should act as an automatic fight-ender, noting that referees cannot possibly know the exact physical condition, wear and tear, or camp background that a corner is actively managing. Other critics directed their frustration toward Pu’s broader performance on the evening, alleging that her control of the undercard had been uneven throughout the event, with one user claiming she had previously issued premature stoppages before inexplicably letting Garber absorb excess damage.
The controversy shines a harsh spotlight on Amy Pu, who occupies a historic position within British boxing as the country’s first and only female professional referee. Originally from Taiwan, Pu took up boxing recreationally in London during her 30s before progressing through the rigorous amateur officiating pathways. She subsequently secured her professional license with the British Boxing Board of Control in 2024, breaking significant demographic ground in an institution that has historically been dominated by men.
Throughout her ascent in the sport, Pu has been candid about navigating occasional encounters with sexism and racism in amateur boxing, but she had expressed appreciation for how she was welcomed upon transitioning to the professional ranks. In an interview with the BBC earlier in the year, Pu discussed her journey and her ambition to be viewed strictly on the merits of her craft rather than her personal background. She noted that while she had harbored hesitations before turning professional due to odd comments during her amateur days, the reaction within the professional sphere had been overwhelmingly positive. She emphasized her gratitude that critics and spectators had treated her as an official rather than focusing on her identity, famously remarking that she welcomed being judged and challenged as a referee, provided the scrutiny remained focused strictly on her performance inside the ring rather than her gender or heritage.
Saturday’s events at the O2 Arena provided precisely that test, with the scrutiny trained entirely upon her sporting judgment and fighter-safety protocols.
Interestingly, the man at the very heart of the storm appeared entirely unbothered by Pu’s controversial decision. Taking to Facebook after recovering from the punishing knockout, Garber displayed the pragmatic, hardened perspective of a veteran fighter, choosing to focus on the financial reward of his evening’s work rather than harbor resentment toward the referee. Garber explained that he had accepted the fight against the dangerous Olaniyan on just one week’s notice, fully aware of the steep odds and physical challenges that awaited him against a prospect half his age.
Reflecting on the experience, Garber struck a philosophical and satisfied tone, acknowledging that Father Time remains undefeated while pointing out that his long years in the sport had provided genuine financial stability. He shared that boxing had already allowed him to purchase two homes and that Saturday’s payday would comfortably secure him a third property. While hinting that the punishing second-round defeat might signal the final chapter of his professional journey, Garber expressed pride in having bowed out on a massive stage in front of 20,000 spectators.
With the result officially recorded, Olaniyan improved his unblemished professional ledger to 5-0, continuing his promising journey in the heavyweight division. Garber’s record moved to 14 victories against 10 defeats across a career defined by resilience. Yet despite the decisive outcome on the scorecards, the enduring talking point from the O2 undercard remains Pu’s discarded towel, a moment that is certain to fuel ongoing debates regarding refereeing discretion and fighter protection under British boxing governance.
