Sporting Witness
Sporting Witness
The boxing referee who started a riot
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March 2, 2023
9 minutes
Available for over a year
In 1988, New Zealand referee Keith Walker facilitated a fight between South Korean boxer Byun Jung II and Bulgarian boxer Aleksandr Khristov. The Bulgarian won the match 4 -1, but when the bell rang, the ring erupted into chaos, with the referee defending himself from the punches that were being thrown his way.
Soon afterwards, he decided to quit refereeing. Vicky Carter spoke to Keith Walker.
(Photo: South Korean assistant boxing coach Lee Chung-Ha grabs New Zealand referee Keith Walker. Credit: Staff/AFP via Getty Images)