Mitchel Stapleton floored by low blow in SBW undercard fight

The referee thought the punch below the belt wasn’t that hard – but changed his mind when he saw The Dynamite Kid was rocked by the illegal blow. Mitchel Stapleton looks back on a career defining moment.

Mitchell Stapleton of Nambucca Heads and former dual league and rugby international Sonny Bill Williams after the fight night in Sydney.

Coffs Coast boxer Mitchel Stapleton is taking his first defeat as a professional on the button – but his camp are from happy after an extraordinary exchange on the Sonny Bill Williams-Barry Hall undercard.

Stapleton, 22, was undefeated going into the bout against the far more experienced Michael Hall in a welterweight battle over six rounds.

But things got explosive in the fifth when Stapleton – The Dynamite Kid – was brought to a knee by a low blow.

The referee at first instructed the former five-time national amateur champion to regain his feet – before realising the severity of the shot.

Hall went on to win the bout by unanimous points: 58-55, and the other two judges scoring it 58-54.

Mitchell Stapleton hopes to be back in action again, possibly as early as May. Picture: Chris Knight

“That was the third time I’d been hit low, and there were lots of punches to the back of the head as well,” Stapleton said.

“He definitely should have been disqualified but that was his game plan and he got away with it so good luck to him.”

As it was, both fighters were warned for holding, while Hall lost two points due to low blows and narrowly avoided a third.

The Dynamite Kid Mitchel Stapleton makes weight ahead of the bout with Michael Hall.

Stapleton’s trainer and father, Ian ‘Sparra’ Stapleton, is still boiling after the Stan-streamed fight night at Sydney.

“All those punches to the back of the head affect your equilibrium,” Sparra said.

The youngster is philosophical about his first loss – and banking the experience.

“I went six rounds as a pro and I’d never even gone one round before,” he said, after his two previous outings ended in quick-fire knockouts.

“It was a huge learning curve for me.”

Stapleton was game to even take the match as it was only his third fight compared to Hall who stepped between the ropes for his 10th since turning professional.

And credit where it’s due – Hall can take a punch, after Stapleton rocked him with a missile left and a thunderclap right uppercut that would have wobbled an elephant.

“He had a really good chin,” Stapleton said.

“And his workrate was huge – you rarely see that in the pros.”

Wiser, the Nambucca Heads product is now looking at options for his next fight, perhaps as soon as May – and he’ll be mindful of the tactics that can be employed.

“That won’t be happening again, I’ll tell you that,” he said.

In the top-of-the-card, former dual rugby and league international Sonny Bill Williams aka SBW easily accounted for retired AFL star Barry Hall in a first round knockout.