Controversy erupted in London over the weekend following a shocking sequence of events in the boxing ring involving veteran referee Amy Pu. Pu drew intense scrutiny after kicking a cornerman’s towel completely out of the ring, allowing a heavyweight bout to continue despite a fighter being in severe distress. The controversial decision ultimately led to a brutal second-round stoppage, after which the beaten boxer required immediate oxygen treatment at ringside.
The alarming incident unfolded during the heavyweight encounter between Adam Olaniyan and Dan Garber, which served as part of the high-profile undercard for the blockbuster Daniel Dubois versus Fabio Wardley event at London’s iconic O2 Arena.
Dan Garber, the 41-year-old competitor, was already in serious trouble as the bout wore on. Overwhelmed by the pressure and power of his opponent, Garber’s corner decided that enough was enough. Recognizing the danger their fighter was in and wishing to protect his long-term health, members of Garber’s team threw the white towel into the canvas to signal an immediate surrender and stop the contest.
However, rather than acknowledging the signal and halting the action, referee Amy Pu intervened in an astonishing manner. Even as Olaniyan actively drew her attention to the towel resting on the canvas, Pu kicked the garment out of the ring entirely.
With the referee refusing to recognize the stoppage, the bout continued. The Irish heavyweight Olaniyan resumed fighting and quickly dropped a defenceless Garber to the canvas once more. Only after this subsequent knockdown did Pu finally wave off the contest, officially bringing an end to the second-round encounter.
The immediate aftermath underscored the gravity of the situation. Garber was subsequently seen receiving emergency oxygen treatment at ringside, looking visibly exhausted and battered. The disturbing sight left spectators, officials, and analysts alike asking serious, urgent questions as to why a referee would blatantly ignore a corner’s humanitarian intervention and force a concussed or exhausted athlete to continue taking unnecessary punishment.
Amy Pu Under Scrutiny
The decision has placed Amy Pu under intense professional scrutiny. Pu has officiated more than 170 professional boxing contests over the course of her career and has largely managed to stay under the radar since breaking barriers as a pioneering female referee within the landscape of British professional boxing.
Her extensive experience in the sport makes the incident particularly difficult to understand or justify. Referees are entrusted with the ultimate responsibility of safeguarding the health and safety of the athletes inside the ring, a duty that becomes even more paramount when a fighter’s own corner clearly communicates that their athlete has taken enough damage.
Under the official rules and regulations of the British Boxing Board of Control, the referee retains the ultimate and final authority on stopping a boxing contest. Strictly speaking, a towel being thrown into the ring by a cornerman does not automatically mandate an immediate end to the fight in the eyes of the rulebook; the official in the middle must formally wave it off.
However, legal technicalities do not erase common sense or the unwritten code of fighter safety. Experts and observers noted that while the referee holds final jurisdiction, kicking the towel away and actively forcing a distressed fighter to continue—especially when his own team was desperately trying to throw in the towel—represents a deeply troubling exercise of that discretion.
Another Referee Under Fire
Amy Pu was not the only boxing official making unwanted headlines and sparking intense controversy over a busy weekend of combat sports. Across the Atlantic Ocean in Las Vegas, fellow referee Thomas Taylor also found himself facing severe criticism and public backlash for a major officiating decision.
Taylor drew the ire of fans and media outlets for stopping Sebastian Fundora’s high-stakes WBC super welterweight title defense against challenger Ermal Hadribeaj right at the dramatic conclusion of the final round. Hadribeaj had successfully beaten the referee’s count after being knocked down, demonstrating his clear desire and physical capacity to finish the fight on his feet. Despite this, Taylor opted to wave off the bout rather than allowing the championship contest to reach the final scheduled bell.
World Boxing News publicly questioned the rationale behind Taylor’s decision, pointing out that it followed an already contentious night of officiating in which Taylor had also chosen to deduct points from Hadribeaj for holding during various phases of the championship bout.
The weekend’s contrasting controversies involving both Pu and Taylor—coupled with a string of similar officiating disputes over the last few years—highlight a broader, persistent issue within modern combat sports. It remains a persistent frustration for purists, boxing fans, and sports journalists alike that the media and the public are so frequently forced to discuss "the third person in the ring."
Ideally, an officiating crew should perform their duties quietly, efficiently, and anonymously, ensuring that the athletes remain the sole focus of attention. Historically, that is how officiating operates in many other major professional sports, where referees and umpires dictate the flow of the game without routinely becoming the main headline of the event.
However, boxing’s unique environment creates an entirely different dynamic. Because of the intensely close-up nature of the sport, the immense global pressure of its high-profile stages, and the rare opportunity for officials to make a prominent name for themselves on television, boxing can inadvertently attract spotlight-seeking personalities.
Whether intentional or merely the result of poor judgment under intense pressure, referees are finding themselves woven directly into the narrative far too often. In a sport where human safety hangs in the balance with every single punch thrown, the fighters inside the ropes should be the only ones making the headlines, and officiating controversies should remain the absolute exception rather than a recurring talking point.
