- Viddal Riley and Chev Clarke lost their footing on a slippery sponsorship logo
- The referee momentarily stopped the fight before round nine to wipe the advert
Fans have been left fuming after bizarre scenes at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium saw fighters slipping and sliding across the canvas – sparking fears the surface could derail Chris Eubank Jr’s highly-anticipated clash with Conor Benn.
During the undercard action, Viddal Riley and Chev Clarke’s clash for the British cruiserweight title had to be halted when the fighters struggled to stay upright, slipping repeatedly on a sponsorship logo emblazoned across the centre of the ring.
At one point, Clarke – who walked to the ring to Arsenal anthem North London Forever – threw a frustrated glance to the crowd after losing his footing yet again during round eight.
Even Riley, the defending champion, was caught out by the treacherous surface, stumbling backwards despite landing a clean hook.
The situation became so dangerous that the referee was forced to stop the contest before the ninth round could begin, taking a towel to the Fatal Fury advert at the centre of the canvas in an attempt to restore some grip.
Veteran ring assembler Mike Goodhall was later seen ringside taking a close look at the surface as concerns mounted ahead of the main event.
Viddal Riley and Chev Clarke lost their footing on a slippery sponsorship logo during their bout
The referee momentarily stopped the fight before round nine to wipe the advert
Riley eventually clinched the British cruiserweight title, earning a unanimous decision win
Fans were quick to vent their anger on social media, calling the conditions “appalling”.
One wrote: ‘They need to change this canvas. Both fights already have fighters slipping whenever they stand on the centre sponsor logo as it’s printed and not painted.’
Another posted: ‘The canvas on this ring is appalling both fights plenty slipping Surley this should be better’.
‘Exceptional performance from Viddal so far – seems to be a step above Clarke at the minute. But can someone sort out the wet spot in the ring – both fighters have complained after slipping multiple times,’ a third fan said.
A fourth added: ‘I hope that slippery canvas doesn’t become a story in the main event tonight’.
Riley eventually clinched the British cruiserweight title, earning a unanimous decision win over Clarke to extend his unbeaten record. The judges scored the bout 116–112, 117–111, and 115–113 in his favour.
