Six Years On: Tyan Booth Leaves Ring Mid-Fight and Spits at Referee
Key Highlights :
Tyan Booth's return to the ring was one few will forget after he left the fight early and spat at the referee on his way. The unlicensed bout took place against Kyle Charles on Saturday and saw Booth take his leave midway through the third round.
Booth, 40, last fought Marcus Morrison in June 2017 before being suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control the following year. He hasn't held a licence since, and it seems safe to say he won't regain the credential based on this weekend's paltry performance.
However, the veteran - who fought both Tony Bellew (TKO loss) and Liam Williams (draw) in 2013 - at least expressed regret for his actions after things turned ugly. "I don't know, I just went a bit mental in there, you know what I mean? Chucking a knee and an elbow and stuff like that, and spitting," he told reporters after the incident. "It was a freak show, it was a car crash."
When asked about the 'unlicensed tactics' involved in the fight, Booth responded: "Anything goes, chucking elbows [and] knees. You know what I mean? Anything goes. But walking out the ring like that? I don't know [what came over him]."
Booth appeared to score a knockdown of Charles in the first round but was never awarded it. His body language then deteriorated as the clash wore on, and he was deducted a point for consistently holding his opponent. His attempt to spit at the official was clearly picked up on the Black Country White Collar Boxing stream, which is understood to have attracted 50,000 viewers at one point. He proceeded to wade his way through the crowd, with Charles left to laugh from the ring while goading his departing foe.
If boxing fans weren't already convinced the British boxer's career at the top level is over, they will be now. When he attempted to sum up the events, Booth commented 'probably five years of drinking' had a hand in his disappointing display. He later uploaded a video while laying in bed at the 'Travel Lodge in Dudley', where he said he'd been out to a strip club with friends after quitting in the ring. It was there Booth said the 'alcohol caught up with him' after being left with 'nothing in the tank'.
Booth was suspended in 2017 for making a joke about fellow boxer Scott Westgarth, who died at age 31 the day after winning his final fight. The former has since gained more than 27,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel but is unlikely to have attracted more fans based on Saturday's performance.
It is clear that Tyan Booth's return to the ring was nothing like what he had hoped for. While the veteran boxer expressed remorse for his actions, it is unlikely that he will ever regain his license from the British Boxing Board of Control. His attempt to spit at the referee was caught on camera and his departure from the ring was an embarrassment to the sport. It is safe to say that Booth won't be making a return to the top level of boxing anytime soon.
