Gervonta Davis' win over Hector Luis Garcia was temporarily stopped when a fight broke out at ringside between rapper Meek Mill and world champion boxer Gary Russell Jr.
Davis defeated Garcia after the Dominican fighter was unable to get up from the stool following a brutal eighth round of punishment. But just minutes prior, referee Albert Earl Brown had been forced to call a halt to proceedings as the two celebrities got into it at ringside.
Meek Mill, whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams, was in Washington to put his support behind Davis, while Russell Jr was less keen on cheering for the WBA 'regular' lightweight champion. It appears that the pair's dispute started over a disagreement stemming from predictions for the fight, with Meek Mill predicting another trademark Davis stoppage.
"Congratulations tankkk [Davis' nickname]!!!" Meek Mill wrote on Twitter after the incident. "I almost fought a boxer telling him this fight not going 12 rounds I missed the big bomb." In a second tweet he added: "I would never let no petty s*** escalate to let somebody movie run... I just walked away... I came to support tank and boots!!!!!! Good wins."
Russell Jr has remained relatively silent on the issue, with Showtime Boxing boss Stephen Espinoza explaining to Fight Hub TV : "We had different fanbases. We had the Russells, we had Meek Mill, we had a bit of conflict. Everybody walked away with no problems just a lot of yelling and pushing." Davis gave his take on the situation, telling Fight Hub TV : "I seen it, they're always starting s***."
What did you make of Meek Mill and Gary Russell Jr's altercation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
The incident went viral on social media, with fans questioning why the bout had been stopped. However, the halt didn't last long and just minutes later Davis had landed a vicious series of punches that rendered Garcia unable to continue, with the fighter reportedly telling his corner in Spanish "I can't see".
Davis' victory, No.28 in his professional career, now seems to have finally set the stage for a super-fight with Ryan Garcia in April. Speaking after the fight, Davis told Showtime during his in-ring interview: "I'm ready for the fight. It's scheduled for April. I'm here. He's been training, he's been talking and let's see who's really about that."
At the post-fight press conference, Davis added: "If it was up to me Ryan would definitely be next, we somewhat got everything going in the right direction. So we're just waiting for Ryan to accept on his side and let's get the job done... Ryan is a baby clown, tell him to get ready."
