A 58 year old welterweight boxer, known as the world’s oldest, was knocked out in the first round by a fighter 37 years younger. Scot England, a former DJ, lasted only five seconds before Jashawn Hunter landed the winning punch.
Scot England, making his debut in Nashville, Tennessee, had always dreamed of stepping into the ring, having been a boxing fan for decades. He made no secret of his admiration for Muhammad Ali and even claimed to have exchanged letters with him after meeting him 40 years ago at a meet and greet.
Speaking about how Ali inspired him, he spoke about how the boxing legend’s words stayed with him down the years, admitting: “The first time I walked into his living room, he said are you a boxer? I said no, champ, I’m not tough enough for that, and I wasn’t. Forty years later, I am tough enough.”
The fight was part of a show called ‘Country Box’, which combines boxing and music to keep Nashville in the spotlight. However, to England’s despair, he couldn’t secure a surprise victory as his first ever bout was ended by after just five seconds of fighting.
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The older boxer couldn’t match the triumphs of his idol Ali during his debut bout, with the fight stopped soon after the first bell. The latest chapter in the former country and western songwriter’s eventful life came to a swift close, as youngster Hunter landed his opponent on the canvas with a couple of uppercut jabs.
Speaking to the Herald and Review newspaper, England reflected on the bout, saying: “This kid caught me with a fast punch I did not see, and it was a good one, I don’t know if he broke my nose, but my nose is pretty big and cut today; he put me down and I had no idea where I was.
“You know, I have no memory of that at all. I thought the ref stopped it when I got back up. And then I looked at the fight video afterwards and said ‘Man, I kept going for a few more punches and I just don’t recall that part’.”
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Despite being on the recieving end of a five-second knockdown, he was still beaming with pride after gaining a small place in professional boxing history. In fact, the ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ have already purportedly been in touch to inform him that he is the oldest person ever to take to ring in such a capacity.
He wass originally granted a licence to box professionally by the Tennessee Athletic Commission, after undertaking blood and exams. Speaking about his newfound notoriety due to his record, England added: “To be honest, the way I got beat up I will probably have that record forever. Because they probably won’t ever let another old guy like me in the ring.”
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