Nigerian heavyweight boxer, Efe Ajagba, in the early hours of Saturday in Minneapolis, USA added a chapter to the history of boxing as he recorded the fastest win ever in the pound-for-pound business.
Ajagba’s feat dusted the record which was set on 4 November, 1947 by Mike Collins, who floored, Pat Brownson, with the first punch and the contest was stopped four seconds after the bell, according to the Guinness World Records.
The Olympian from Delta State, Ajagba, took his fight records to 6-0 without throwing a single punch to secure victory over Curtis Harper, who walked out of the ring after the bell.
Ajagba, who represented Nigeria at the 2016 Olympics before the bout had remained undefeated in his five professional fights with four of them ending in the first round.
Fans were left stunned as the American boxer, Harper, said to be protesting against what he received as poor purse exited the ring.
The 2015 All Africa Games super heavyweight champion and 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist is yet to react to his iconic victory over Harper, who went back to the dressing rooms with fans waiting.
A Premier Boxing Champions reporter suggested Harper was unhappy at the purse he was to receive for the fight.
All seemed normal as both fighters were introduced to the crowd having completed their ring walks and were briefed by referee Celestino Ruiz.
But after hearing the bell, Harper went under the ropes, walked down the steps, up the ramp and out of the arena, leaving Ajagba and everyone else dumbfounded.
Ruiz ruled Ajagba the winner by means of disqualification at one second of the first round.
Harper’s trainer Nate Campbell was furious with his fighter and took to social media to criticise the ‘disrespectful’ move.
Writing on his Facebook page, Campbell wrote: “This was madness! I was so embarrassed! This man disrespect himself, his wife, the fan and me!”
A disappointed spectator, Ryan Songalia @ryansongalia while reacting to the drama tweeted,”First time I’ve ever seen this: heavyweight boxer Curtis Harper walks out of the ring at the opening bell for his fight against Efe Ajagba on live TV! Ajagba wins by DQ without a punch thrown”.
Meanwhile, Promoter Leon Margules told BBC Sport organisers had no idea of Harper’s plan before the bout and confirmed the fighter received no payment as a result.
“He signed a contract and agreed to the fight,” said Margules. “First time we heard about money issues was after he left the ring. He weighed in and showed up on time and even touched gloves before the bell. It is strange.
“If he didn’t like the deal, why did he accept the fight and money?”
Britain’s former unified heavyweight champion of the world Lennox Lewis shared footage of the incident on social media.
Writing on Twitter, Dave Coldwell, trainer of British heavyweight Tony Bellew, said: “Boxing…expect the unexpected!! Can’t say I’ve ever seen this before!”