WBO International Jr. Bantamweight Bout: Eto-Cintron Changed To No-Decision Due To Accidental Headbutt

Eto-Cintron Changed To No-Decision Due To Accidental Headbutt

KISSIMMEE, Fla.—On a night when Puerto Rican boxers were getting knocked out in front a Boricua-heavy crowd in Kissimmee, Fla., Jeyvier Cintron was given a reprieve of sorts.

The super flyweight prospect from Puerto Rico was ruled to have suffered a 1st round knockout loss at the hands of Japan’s Koki Eto in their scheduled 10-round regional title fight Saturday evening at Kissimmee’s Osceola Heritage Park. As brief as was their ESPN+ streamed bout, the review process went the full distance before officially changing the verdict to a No-Decision.

Slowed down replays showed that Eto headbutted Cintron prior to landing the fight-ending right hand which floored the unbeaten prospect and left him staggering around the ring. Referee Andrew Glenn was still in the process of ordering Eto to a neutral corner before being run into by a stumbling Cintron who repeatedly complained of the foul.

“It was a clear headbutt,” Francisco ‘Paco’ Valcarcel, president of the WBO informed BoxingScene.com. “We watched the replays and everyone—all of the referees and officials at ringside—agreed that the foul caused the fall.”

El combate entre Koki Eto y Jeyvier Cintrón fue cambiado de victoria por TKO para el japonés a 'NO CONTEST' debido a que Eto dio un cabezazo a Cintrón y por ello el boricua no pudo continuar. #ItoHerring @WorldBoxingOrg @trboxing pic.twitter.com/OHa5nHRuxT

— Frases de Boxeo (@FrasesdeBoxeo) May 26, 2019

The sequence was initially waved off as his being separated from his senses, prompting Glenn to wave off the contest at 2:03 of round one. Eto immediately mounted a cornerpost in celebration before hosting an makeshift press conference with media members from Japan who made the trek for the super flyweight title eliminator.

By the time those media members returned to press row ready to file on deadline, a crowd of Top Rank brass and Florida ringside officials were hovered around monitors reviewing the knockdown sequence.

Upon further review, it was determined that the foul put Cintron at an unfair disadvantage.

“The headbutt ended the fight,” noted Valcarcel. “Because the fight didn’t go four rounds, it ends in a no-contest and the International Super Flyweight title is now vacant.”

Discussions are underway to decide whether to run it back or if the two will go their separate ways.

By Jake Donovan / BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox