Former NBA player and current Basketball analyst, Shaquille O’Neal has been a fan of boxing for a long time. He has also competed in some amateur exhibition bouts and often trains in the sport. Therefore it wasn’t surprising when he joined fans in reacting to Welsh bare-knuckle boxer Barrie Jones’ brutal 5-second knockout.

The 38-year-old fighter from Swansea made headlines after his win over 40-year-old American fighter Luiz Melo in the opening round of their fight at ‘Tis the Season to Brawl’, which was held at the 4,500-capacity James L. Knight Center in Miami.

The fight ended with Jones finishing off Melo with a flurry of punches leaving him on the canvas in just 5 seconds. Jones’s victory was swift and brutal, leaving his opponent unconscious. Moreover, the knockout has garnered attention from sports fans all over the world, including O’Neal, who took to social media to react to the fight. The former 4-time NBA champion shared a resurfaced video of the match on his Instagram Story. This was not all as fans also reacted to this brutal and vicious knockout.

Fans join Shaquille O’Neal in reacting to the brutal knockout

User @arthurbodinho called Jones a wild beast for his brutal display of power. “Wild beast! SJr,” they wrote. Another user, @vallanceneilson1981 praised Jones. According to him, the Welsh boxer was levels above and someone special will be needed to beat him. “Barry jones is on another level. Gonna take someone special to beat him,” they wrote. However, user @montecarlo_bird420 claimed that the count by the referee was a slow one. “Counted 7 and slow,” they wrote.

One user, @falon305 also had some praise for Jones after his KO victory. “Buddy must have brought that thunder,” they wrote. Lastly, user @krisjones1990 wanted the Welsh fighter to replicate this performance in his next fight. “Beast. Be the same on the next one,” they wrote.

Bare-knuckle boxing is a sport that has gained popularity in recent years, thanks in part to its unapologetically raw and primal nature. However, it is still a highly controversial sport, with many critics calling for it to be banned due to the potential for serious injury and even death. Regardless of the controversy, with the support of fans and fellow athletes like Shaquille O’Neal, it’s clear that Jones is a force to be reckoned with in the ring.

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What did you think about O’Neal joining fans as they react to this brutal knockout? Let us know in the comments below.

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