Boxer Curtis Harper stunned viewers when he left the boxing ring seconds after the bell went off.
Harper was supposed to fight Nigerian boxer Efe Ajagba, who was situated on the other side of the ring. But when Ajagba started heading toward the middle of the ring to begin the fight, Harper was already going through the ropes to head back to the locker room. Harper hasn't released a public statement on why he left but Premiere Boxing Champions' host, Jordan Hardy, says there was a money issue at play.
"If y’all are wondering I spoke to Harper and he said he walked out of the ring because he’s not getting paid enough to fight and that he wants respect," read her tweet.
Although there wasn't a fight, Ringstar Sports CEO Richard Schaefer, who's Ajagba's promoter, is using the situation to his advantage. "This was legendary," he told ESPN. "We waited a long time to have another heavyweight who instills fear in his opponents by just being in the ring and looking at them. The last time a fighter instilled that kind of fear in an opponent was Mike Tyson." Prior to this fight, Ajagba was 5-0, with each fight ending with a knockout. On the other hand, Harper was 13-5 and will likely (per ESPN) be suspended by the Minnesotaboxing commission.
