Former heavyweight boxer Julius Francis, who took on Mike Tyson in 2000, has been filmed knocking out a rowdy reveller while working as a security guard.
Francis, 57, retired from the ring in 2006 with a record of 23-24-1 but proved he has lost little of his power as stepped in to sort out an altercation at BOXPARK near Wembley Stadium. Footage posted on social media shows a group of men arguing with security outside the venue with Francis initially remaining in the background.
The group is herded out of the security cordon where they continue to confront the staff. One man then turns to leave where he is met by Francis who lands a right hand which sends the punter to the ground. The person filming the incident can he heard saying, "Oh s***" as he hits the ground.
WARNING: Strong language and violence
Francis walks away from the incident while the stricken man is helped by his friends. He is put in the recovery position while two other men talk to the former fighter. Another man is heard saying, "There was no need, there was no need". Mirror Fighting has approached BOXPARK for comment.
Francis won his first six fights as a professional before he was knocked out by John Ruiz in 1994. Another five-fight winning streak was then halted by Scott Welch before embarking on a see-saw run of wins and losses.
Francis was knocked out in the second round by Vitali Klitschko in 1998 before suffering the same fate against Tyson two years later. He would win just two more fights before losing 14 successive bouts until he hung up his gloves.
Do you know the man who was punched? Let us know in the comments section below
Boxing fans quickly took to social media to offer their take on the incident, with one saying: "Stepped up to a man who was mad enough to step in the ring with Mike Tyson, it’s not what I consider a smart move!" Another joked: "Eddie Hearn will have him fighting [Anthony] Joshua next on DAZN PPV once he gets spanked by [Oleksandr] Usyk. 'It's a 50/50 fight!' At this point [it] probably is."
Another user said: "This could have been handled a lot different by the guard. Despite the guy being provocative, you have no right to just punch someone like that, especially being a guard. People in the comment sections are probably kids or just uneducated adults thinking it was good thing."
