Boxing is a dangerous sport and without regulation, it can become deadly. That is why refereeing a fight might be one of the hardest jobs a person has to do. Step in too early and people may hate you for ruining a knockout, step in too late and someone may die. Therefore, a referee has to be on his toes at all times and must be ready to stop the fight the moment it becomes dangerous. But what happens when a referee does not stop the exchange even when it has crossed the serious safety line? Well, we saw exactly that during the Edwine Humaine Jr. vs. Ardreal Holmes Jr. fight on December 12.

During the super welterweight match between the two boxers at the Dort Federal Events Center, in Flint, Michigan, Humaine landed an illegal punch that has riled up all the fans as they have serious questions for the referee Benjamin Rodriguez.

Edwine Humaine’s deadly move

On Friday, boxing reporter Mario Mungia took to his ‘X’ and posted a clip from Edwine Humaine Jr, in black shorts, fighting Ardreal Holmes Jr., in purple shorts. The clip focused on a few seconds of the fight where Humaine was on the attack while Holmes was pinned against the ropes with his guards up. Holmes successfully blocked the Springfield native’s jab and hooks. Holmes was even able to dodge a humongous right. However, for further protection, he bent his neck down to reduce Humaine’s punching options. Humaine’s frustration grew as he was unable to connect his punches effectively on Ardreal Holmes Jr.

In a state of anger and annoyance, while the 17-0 boxer was ducking from the punches, the 24-year-old threw a rabbit punch right to Holmes’ head. For those who may not know, a rabbit punch is an illegal punch in boxing delivered to the back of an opponent’s head. Since it is a delicate spot, a punch to the back of the head can seriously injure a boxer, even causing death in many cases.

And the concerning part was the punch was delivered with the lower part of the fist, what is known as a hammer punch, another illegal move in boxing. It was also delivered with a terrifyingly brutal force that took the 30-year-old by surprise, who opened his block and stood up straight immediately to wrap his head around the situation. However, what irked the most fans was that referee Benjamin Rodriguez, who was seeing it from a very close distance failed to call it.

Thankfully, the Michigan native was fine as he went on to win the fight via a unanimous decision. But it was a thin margin and things could have been so much worse. As Mungia posted the clip, fans were fuming with anger and they could not believe their eyes. They ridiculed Edwine Humaine and started questioning referee Rodriguez, too.

Boxing world in utter disbelief

A user wrote, “Some fouls are so ridiculous & out of line they need to be dealt with more seriously. I’d argue this is one. Take a pt. Take a part of his purse. Suspend him for x mos. But this is just a wild foul that shouldn’t only get a “don’t do that” from the ref. ” The fan was in disbelief as to why the referee did not stop the fight or put a penalty on Humaine. It was a life-threatening punch that could have left a long-lasting effect on Ardreal Holmes Jr.

Another user took a dig at the referee and wrote, “Shocked the ref didn’t really do anything,” questioning what was going in his mind. Who in the boxing community can forget the incidents of Magomed Abdusalamov and Prichard Colón, who went into a coma courtesy of rabbit punches? Both of these fighters had to live in a vegetative state because of what their opponent did. Considering that Rodriguez did not even stop the fight to check on Holmes, it is quite shocking.

Another user wrote, “Discipline the ref along with the boxer who is hitting behind the head which can cause very serious injury to death,” demanding serious actions against Benjamin Rodriguez and Edwine Humaine. Another shocked user, who could not believe what he was seeing, wrote, “wtf,” as he could not come up with a better expression to describe the incident.

Amidst the sea of criticism, a shocking site prevailed when a fan praised Edwine Humaine’s action. He wrote, “Its a fight at the end of the day. he took it too far but all is fair in war,” claiming that everything is fair when you are trying to win. However, that is not true. A fight or even a title fight should not be worth more than someone’s life. A title tainted in blood because of your carelessness will never be worth anything.

Do you think the concerned authorities should take action against Edwine Humaine and referee Benjamin Rodriguez? Let us know your thoughts down below.