OXON HILL, Md. -- Leon Lawson Jr., the uncle and assistant trainer of super middleweight Andre Dirrell, was wanted on two assault charges by Prince George's County Police on Saturday night after he punched contender Jose Uzcategui, Dirrell's opponent, in the face after the fight had ended.
Dirrell claimed a vacant interim super middleweight world title by eighth-round disqualification after Uzcategui drilled him just after the bell rang to end the round and Dirrell was ruled unable to continue on the Gary Russell Jr.-Oscar Escandon undercard at the MGM National Harbor.
Dirrell went down hard, face-first, and referee Bill Clancy ruled the punch landed after the bell. As Dirrell was being attended to by the ringside doctor, Lawson stormed across the ring and unleashed a left hand that landed on Uzcategui's face, nearly igniting a riot in the ring.
Uzcategui was restrained by his handlers, and Lawson also was pulled away from him, but Lawson then slipped out of the arena during the postfight confusion.
Uzcategui was taken to the trauma center at MedSTAR Washington Hospital in Washington for further evaluation and was released a few hours later.
"I'm sorry for what my coach has done," Dirrell said. "My coach is my family, my uncle, and he was worried. He cares for me. He loves me. Please forgive him.
https://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/19427903/andre-dirrell-uncle-wanted-questioning-maryland-police-sucker-punching-jose-uzcategui
This is a whole new level of dirty boxing. The Andre Dirrell-Jose Uzcategui fight ended in a DQ, with Dirrell winning the IBF lightweight title. As with most things boxing, it didn't come without some controversy.
The punch was late, but it was certainly borderline, and it seems as
though Dirrell and Uzcategui made peace after the fight. However,
Dirrell's uncle didn't appreciate Uzcategui's underhanded tactics.