There were disturbing scenes during the last Misfits Boxing gala in Manchester on Saturday evening when Anthony Taylor collapsed after being stopped by fellow MMA fighter Darren Till.
The American took up the fight shortly after Tommy Fury withdrew, but he was no match for Till, who dominated from the very beginning.
In his first boxing fight, the Liverpudlian looked outstanding from the bell, displaying impressive hand speed and having no trouble countering Taylor’s aggressive approach.
Threatening to KO from the start, Till secured a stoppage in the sixth round.
But what happened next shocked those who watched the event. Taylor, who entered the fight with a 7-4 boxing record, broke down in post-fight interviews. He was later taken away from the Co-Op Arena in a wheelchair.
Many assumed that Taylor was then taken to the hospital for tests. However, according to Ariel Helwani, after being given oxygen and found to be stable, he was allowed to return to his accommodation.
Misfits co-founder Mams Taylor later confirmed that Taylor had regained consciousness. He also said Taylor did not need a hospital visit because he was “conscious and well” when he entered the locker room.
He later posted a video on social media in which he spoke clearly and promised to bounce back from the shocking defeat. “It’s OK, I took the L (loss) like a motherfucker,” he said.
“I’ll be back. I’m fine. Thank you all for your love and support, thank you to everyone who makes fun of me too. I don’t give a damn. I deserve it. But at the end of the day, I’ll fucking come back.”
“Pretty Boy,” who has a professional MMA record of 7-5 but has not fought since August 2019, also took aim at Fury. WX wrote, “Now we know why Tommy Fury backed out,” along with two laughing emojis.
The Misfits Boxing 20 main event was only organized after the Manchester fighter withdrew. The younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson stated that he was not content with Till’s claim that he would resort to “MMA tactics” if he lost the fight.
Do later denied that he wasn’t stern when giving the warning, saying it was simply a marketing tactic. It wasn’t until December 29 that it was confirmed that Taylor had stepped in as a replacement.