With their two previous encounters having resulted in controversy, it was to be expected that the third meeting between Artem 'The Lion' Levin and Simon 'Bad Bwoy' Marcus might also involve some debatable moments.
But nothing could have prepared fans and industry figures for what they saw in the main event of GLORY 27 CHICAGO as a frustrated Levin, docked a second point by referee Al Wichgers for excessive clinching, refused to continue the fight and instead chose to exit the ring, resulting in an immediate loss for disqualification.
âIn all my years involved in sports, in all my years involved in boxing, including Olympic events such as London, I have never seen anything like that. I have never seen a fighter refuse to continue fighting and just quit the fight and walk out of the ring,â said GLORY CEO Jon Franklin.
âI understand that Levin was feeling considerable frustration at the time, but there is a right way to go about it. You complete the fight and if you feel you have been unfairly treated you make appeals through the proper channels, such as the officiating body and the athletic commission.
âBut to just quit the fight and walk out of the ring because you disagree with the referee's decision? I've never seen anything like that.â
Once Levin exited the ring he was disqualified, resulting in Marcus being ruled the winner and taking possession of the GLORY World Middleweight Championship.
That took place in the third round but Levin actually attempted to wave the fight off in the second when he was first deducted a point for what Wichgers determined to be excessive clinching. Only the fact that Marcus jumped on him and made him defend himself stopped Levin calling the fight off.
When a second point was deducted in the next round, Levin lost it. He berated Wichgers and refused to continue the fight. Marcus stood back and watched as Levin circled, made up his mind, then decided he definitely wouldn't continue the fight. He exited the ring and his corner team swarmed GLORY executives ringside, furiously protesting the refereeing.
A central pillar of their ire was the knockdown count that Levin took in the first round. He and Marcus were locked in a clinch, Marcus out-muscled him and threw him through the ring ropes. Levin clambered back into the ring looking a little flustered, but that look turned to incredulity as he then took a count from Wichgers.
Marcus did land a knee strike just before Levin went through the ropes, and Levin also took his time coming back into the ring, two things which may have presaged the count. Whatever the reason, Levin and many fans in the arena did not believe it was deserved. That, plus the further two point deductions, made the fight essentially unwinnable for him outside of a stoppage.
Cory Schaefer, US head of the ISKA sanctioning body which oversees GLORY events, said afterwards that he took special care to warn the fighters before the bout that clinching contrary to the rules would be given zero tolerance. Did Levin heed it? It's hard to say; there was enough clinching from his side to indicate that he hadn't taken the warning too seriously.
Does he have grounds to claim unfair treatment? Again, hard to say. Certainly there were things the referee warned him for which Marcus escaped censure for when he executed similar tactics, such as attempting to sweep the standing leg when catching a kick. But the real issue is whether Levin was justified in walking from the ring rather than completing the bout and then raising any objections he had. GLORY CEO Jon Franklin does not think so, but defers to Cor Hemmers, Head of Talent Operations, on the question of Levin's future with the organization.
The debacle overshadows what should have been a triumphant night for Marcus, who is now the GLORY World Middleweight Champion. He adds that honor to a list of decorations earned in the Muay Thai world. He is now the world's foremost middleweight striker, but would have preferred to earn that distinction in more emphatic fashion.
