Alex Winwood has been left shocked and devastated, after his boxing quarter-final was stopped early in the second round against Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba.
After four of the five judges awarded Winwood the first round, the Australian was floored by a right-shot from his opponent. Winwood got up moments later, but his bout was waved off despite the 25-year-old appearing stable and his eyes still.
“I find that impossible to believe, absolutely impossible to believe. That fight should not have been stopped. That’s not a stop page. That’s an outrage,” Jon Harker said in commentary for Channel 7.
Harry Garside, who took bronze during last year’s Olympics in the boxing, agreed.
“That’s heartbreaking for Alex. No way that’s a stoppage,” Garside said.
Winwood was close to tears as he wrapped up his interview, believing the fight was called off too quickly.
“It was a pretty fast call. I won the first round, and I thought I won it pretty easily,” he said.
Garside reflected the fight was called off too early, but Winwood had left the decision open as he looked away after getting up off the ground.
“He wasn’t hurt, he did turn his back which gives the referee some empathy, but you’ve got to wait for the person to get up and give them eight seconds,” he said.
“She waved it off way too soon.”
Social media agreed, with many raising their eyebrows at the early stoppage.
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