There has been some conflicting information on the recent boxing match stopped by tear gas that caused wild scenes.
Boxing has seen the fan man invade the ring famously in the fight between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield in 1993 when a man parachuted into the ring with an electronic fan stopping the contest.
Wild brawls, fan invasions, team invasions of boxing rings have happened.
But surely tear gas stopping a fight is a first.
Here’s what actually happened a few days ago at professional boxing match in Nigeria between Basit Adebayo vs Loren Japhet.
Fact Check: Basit Adebayo vs Loren Japhet – Tear Gas Incident
| Category | Confirmed Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Part of an Amir Khan-promoted boxing card with pro + celebrity bouts |
| Date | Friday night, May 1, 2026 |
| Venue | Balmoral Convention Center, Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria |
| Broadcast | Live on DAZN |
| Fighters | Basit Adebayo (Nigeria) vs Loren Japhet (Tanzania) |
| Weight Class | Super lightweight / 8-round bout |
| Round of Incident | Round 4 of 8, with 2:10 remaining |
| Referee | Name not publicly released. Footage shows a middle-aged Black referee in white shirt, black bow tie, blue disposable gloves. He was the one who halted the bout |
| What Happened | Security deployed tear gas to control unticketed fans trying to force entry to the arena. The gas seeped into the ring |
| Immediate Impact | Referee, both fighters, and cornermen began coughing/wheezing. Referee stopped the fight and sent boxers to corners. Towels were used to cover faces |
| Stoppage Duration | Approx 20 minutes before air cleared |
| Fight Resumption | Bout was paused, not cancelled. Action resumed after unticketed fans were removed |
| Result | Basit Adebayo won the fight. Loren Japhet lost by points |
| Other Impact | British boxer Joe Laws was warming up for Elvis Ahorga bout. He was caught in the gas, ripped his wraps off, and refused to fight |
Contest Context
- The headline bout was between Internet personalities Portable vs Carter Efe — which drove the crowd issues most believe.
- Other fights on card: Samuel Antwi KO1 Paul Kamanga, Michael McKinson defeated Afikun Segun Gbenga on the night.
- Cause of tear gas: Not from inside the ring. Security used it to disperse fans without tickets trying to storm the venue. That is what happened.
- Official footage: DAZN cameras caught the referee coughing, wiping his eyes (per above photo) and stopping the bout.
- Multiple social posts show on-screen text “Tear gas got into the ring” but it was done by security in the end.
Boxing is flying as a sport but sometimes these things happen like they do at all professional live sporting events.
Anywhere in the world.
