Ryno Liebenberg always talks a good fight.
The trouble is, his body often doesn’t listen.
Fighting in Germany for the IBF Intertercontinental super-middleweight belt last night, Liebenberg gave his all against Vincent Feigenbutz, only for the action to be stopped in the sixth round due to a cut.
Opting not to call the doctor and seemingly unsure exactly what to do, the dithering referee waved off the action, awarding the German the TKO win. Naturally, the South Africans were furious.
Even the German media was scathing of the stoppage, one referring to it as “slapstick”. Liebenberg himself tweeted that an “incompetent” ref had saved his opponent.
It was a shattering blow for the South African, but he’s been down this road before. He’s fought with worse cuts, too, but seldom with a referee so out of his depth.
There will be calls for a rematch, but the damage has been done and Liebenberg will be seething at the injustice of it all.
