BOXING purists are outraged that Jake Paul's stoppage Tyron Woodley was awarded ESPN's Knockout Award.
ESPN Ringside offered fans the chance to vote for their favorite KO of 2021, with a poll that featured some of the worst stoppages of the year.
Tyron Woodley was brutally knocked out by Jake Paul earlier this month
Paul's viral sixth round KO of Woodley was one of the candidates for the award and won it by a wide margin.
Long-time fans of sweet science weren't happy. One said: "It wasn't a brutalKO, but I feel bad for [Oscar]Valdez, who kinda deserve it better IMO."
Another stated, "State of boxing today."
Another said, "This is effing absurd."
One commented, "ESPN Ringside turned its back on professional fighters who actually fought their hearts out at Title Fights!"
"For a million dollar gimmick, KO!"
Another participant said: "So, KOing people that aren't boxers wins Awards now?" What a fall boxing has made."
One simply said, "Taking the p**s."
Paul's spectacular KO of Woodley, former UFC welterweight champion, prompted claims that their fight was a fixed'.
Woodley's long-time coach Din Thomas has disproved this notion, stating during an appearance on Sirius XM Radio that "that whole theory, it makes you laugh."
"Because I was in his camp, it was very serious.
"It was serious like Tyron really wanted to win this fight back, he really wanted it and it was a serious matter.
"Now, if it were a dive, they should have told me because I wouldn’t have come to the party and spent the night off."
"I thought I'd like to party but that wasn’t the case." It was a legitimate, legal fight.
Paul, a former Disney star, was scheduled to meet Tommy Fury in this month's battle before the Love Islander pulled out of their grudge match because of illness and injury.
The Problem Child seems to be unwilling to face the Fury younger brother.
He stated that he didn't know where the next step was on his roadmap. I've done everything, I've achieved what I want.
"I need to stop, I have been doing this non-stop for over a year and half, and it's a lot.
"I'm tired, I need to spend some time with my family at Christmas, and then go on vacation. I haven't been on vacation since I was 18, so I'm not sure what to do.
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