Super featherweight boxer Stephen Smith’s ear was nearly ripped off after he clashed heads with his opponent during a Saturday night boxing bout in Las Vegas.
The match between Smith and Francisco Vargas was stopped early after the ninth round by a technical decision.
What looked like a normal fight between Smith and Vargas quickly turned into a gruesome one.
Video of the fight showed the cringe-worthy moment the two fighters accidentally clashed their heads together, causing Smith’s ear to tear.
Super featherweight boxer Stephen Smith’s (right) ear was nearly ripped off after he clashed heads with his opponent Francisco Vargas during a Saturday night boxing bout in Las Vegas
The match between Smith (pictured) and Vargas was stopped early after the ninth round by a technical decision. What looked like a normal fight between Smith and Vargas quickly turned into a gruesome one
Video of the fight showed the cringe-worthy moment the two fighters accidentally clashed their heads together, causing Smith’s ear to tear (pictured)
The referee called the ringside doctor into action after the ninth round as soon as he noticed the horrific gash on Smith’s ear.
Photos of the grisly injury showed Smith’s ear partially detached along the outer cartilage of his ear.
The incident also shocked several fans who commended Smith’s desire to keep fighting despite his injury, and some even called him a ‘warrior’.
‘Can we all just put this into perspective please. Stephen Smith pretty much got his ear ripped off tonight and like a warrior still wanted to fight. Rigondeaux quit with a ‘hand injury’ in the biggest fight of his career SHOCKING lack of heart from Rigo!’ one user tweeted.
That user was referring to the match between Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux. Rigondeaux claimed he quit the match because of an injured hand.
Another person wrote: ‘Not that it was ever in doubt but Stephen Smith is one brave man wanting to continue with that ear injury. Deserves a bit of luck in big fights.’
The referee called the ringside doctor into action after the ninth round as soon as he noticed the horrific gash on Smith’s ear (pictured)
Photos of the grisly injury showed Smith’s ear partially detached along the outer cartilage of his ear
The incident also shocked several fans who commended Smith’s desire to keep fighting despite his injury, and some even called him a ‘warrior’
On Sunday morning, Smith tweeted thanks to all of the folks who sent him messages of support
On Sunday morning, Smith tweeted thanks to all of the folks who sent him messages of support.
‘Thanks very much for all your supportive messages last night, read them all and they mean a lot. Went to hospital and got my ear stitched back up so hopefully all will heal well. Thanks again for all the love and support. Have a good Christmas everyone x,’ he wrote.
Smith also shared a photo on Twitter of his stitched up ear. Vargas landed 188 punches to Smith’s 134, while throwing 613 to Smith’s 513.
After the match was stopped, judges scored 89-82, 88-83, 88-83 in favor of Vargas
The fight was very much reminiscent of the match between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield. Except, Vargas didn’t bite Smith’s ear off.
Former super-middleweight and light-heavyweight world champ Andre Ward tweeted his shock about Smith’s injury comparing to Tyson’s fight.
Smith also shared a photo on Twitter of his stitched up ear (pictured)
The fight was very much reminiscent of the match between Mike Tyson (center) and Evander Holyfield (right). Except, Vargas didn’t bite Smith’s ear off
Former super-middleweight and light-heavyweight world champ Andre Ward tweeted his shock about Smith’s injury comparing to Tyson’s fight
‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that in a boxing match…in an ear that was not bitten,’ Ward wrote.
On June 28, 1997, former heavyweight champion Tyson took a big chunk off of Holyfield’s ear off during their title fight rematch for the belt in Las Vegas.
Tyson felt Holyfield was deliberately headbutting him in the second round. Referee Mills Lane considered it a clash of heads that caused the cut above Tyson’s right eye.
‘He butted me in the second round, and he looked at me and butted me again,’ said Tyson at the time, according to ESPN.
‘No one deducted points. This is my career. What am I supposed to do? I’ve got children to raise. He kept butting me.’
Tyson then sank his teeth into the top of Holyfield’s right ear. Holyfield instantly recoiled, jumped up in pain while Tyson spat a piece of his opponent’s ear to the canvas.
On June 28, 1997, former heavyweight champion Tyson took a big chunk off of Holyfield’s ear (left and right) off during their title fight rematch for the belt
Tyson (pictured) felt Holyfield was deliberately headbutting him in the second round. Referee Mills Lane considered it a clash of heads that caused the cut above Tyson’s right eye. Tyson then sank his teeth into the top of Holyfield’s right ear