Boxing referee Tony Weeks remarkably claimed that Fredrick Lawson may have had an aneurysm, which led him to prematurely stop Saturday night’s fight.
Lawson faced Vergil Ortiz Jr. as the DAZN headliner in Las Vegas on Saturday with the latter emerging the winner, credited with a first-round stoppage win.
Weeks faced criticism over his questionable stoppage but appeared to defend himself on social media on Sunday.
In a now-deleted Facebook post, the referee claimed that Lawson had tested positive for a brain aneurysm before the fight, which prompted him to call the stoppage.
‘What the public didn’t know that prior to the fight they did a brain scan on him,’ Weeks said.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. was credited with a first-round stoppage win against Fredrick Lawson
Referee Tony Weeks has faced criticism for the questionable stoppage on Saturday
Weeks took to social media to remarkably claim that Lawson may have has an aneurysm
‘[I]t came up that he had an aneurysm, and they did a test again and the same aneurysm came up. Another doctor was brought in and gave him the same examination and he tested negative for the aneurysm, so they cleared him to fight.’
DAZN’s Beto Duran said, via Boxing Scene, post-fight that Weeks told him that he saw Lawson’s eyes roll back while under attack by Ortiz, which prompted him to stop the fight.
Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya’s firm, responded to the 30-year ring official’s claims, denying them in a brief statement.
‘Fredrick Lawson was cleared by a Nevada State Athletic Commission sanctioned doctor to fight on Saturday night,’ Golden Boy said. ‘All other questions should be referred to NSAC [Nevada State Athletic Commission].’
Weeks previously came under fire for halting Rolando Romero-Ismael Barroso in May 2023
Just minutes into the fight, Ortiz caught Lawson with a stiff jab before trapping him against the ropes and unloading.
Weeks then jumped in to halt the bout, believing Lawson had failed to defend himself from further damage intelligently.
Saturday night wasn’t the first time Weeks has come under fire for a poor stoppage as he halted a world title bout between Rolando Romero and Ismael Barroso.
In round nine, Weeks stopped the bout in favor of Romero, who was behind on points, when both men were in the process of exchanging.