ST. LOUIS, MO (November 10, 2010) St. Louis based super middleweight Kevin “The Hitman” Engel is furious over the quick stoppage of his battle with Marcus “Too Much” Johnson this past Friday night in Fargo, North Dakota.
The scheduled eight rounder was stopped after the third round, a round in which Engel had successfully recovered from a knockdown. The battle was broadcast on ShoBox: The New Generation, LIVE on SHOWTIME®..
Boxing fans who missed the Engel/Johnson battle can watch the replay this Thursday night, November 11th on SHO 2 at 11pm EST/10pm CST.
“They stopped it way too soon, it’s a fight, and people get hurt. That’s what happens, but apparently the referee panicked and stopped it because he thought I was badly hurt, which I wasn’t” said Engel. “If fans haven’t seen the fight yet, I want them to watch it and decide for themselves.”
“Johnson came in two pounds overweight and out of shape for the fight, he had punched himself out in the third and I was hitting solidly during all three rounds. I was down once in the third and after the round the referee, Mark Nelson walks over and stops the fight.”
“I had just reached my corner and my trainer took out my mouthpiece when he came over and asked me how I was and I said fine—maybe that means something else in North Dakota, but in St. Louis it means “LET’S KEEP FIGHTING”.
Promoted by Steve Smith’s Rumble Time Promotions of St. Louis, the stoppage moved Engel’s record to 18-4-0 (15KO’s).
Said Smith, “Kevin’s a warrior and this isn’t some four rounder on a club show. The doctor was called over at the end of the third round, but was never given the opportunity to examine Kevin or offer his opinion to the ref before the bout was stopped. Even the Showtime broadcasters said that Johnson had punched himself out.”
“Kevin was very quick to tell the referee he was fine. At least give him a chance, that’s all we ask. Sure Kevin had been tagged a few times, but he was fighting back the whole time.”
“Johnson was an undefeated prospect coming into the fight, at least make him earn the props that have been given to him.
For more information on Rumble Time Promotions, please visit their website at www.rumbletimepromotionsllc.com