Video: Richard Torrez robbed of potential knockout after opponent disqualified for losing mouthpiece

Fight fans witnessed a long list of memorable action inside of the boxing ring on Friday night (Sept. 20, 2024), but not everything ended in a flashy finish. Instead, one of boxing’s most exciting heavyweight prospects saw a knockout win slip through his hands after his opponent was unable to keep his mouthpiece in.

After Callum Walsh delivered a brutal knockout finish in his Ireland debut it was Top Rank Boxing’s turn to showcase even more young talent inside the squared circle. This included a Friday clash between undefeated heavyweight up-and-comer, Richard Torrez, and veteran fighter, Joey Dawejko. Torrez, who is a 25-year-old wrecking machine, was the heavy betting favorite to not only walk away with a win but also another knockout to his name.

Torrez looked to be on his way to just that as he landed power shots that rattled Dawejko early and were even strong enough to knock his mouthpiece out. Surprisingly, Dawejko lasted a few more rounds than expected. Torrez was turning the heat up in the middle rounds, but after repeatedly losing his mouthpiece inside of the ring Dawejko ended up getting disqualified by the referee.

It’s a rare stoppage because usually fighters get properly fitted for a mouthpiece and the only way they lose it is if they get absolutely rocked by a punch. Still, Dawejko kept having issues keeping his mouthpiece in place and the referee wasn’t going to let him fight unprotected against a proven knockout artist like Torrez.

Check out the action from the fight below including the unfortunate stoppage: