Madison Square Garden has issued a statement warning that anyone fighting at the arena could face a lifetime ban after multiple brawls broke out during an event on Friday.
The venue was hosting weigh-ins for the Saturday night fight headlined by Shakur Stevenson and Teofimo Lopez when the chaos kicked off.
Video obtained by TMZ shows multiple melees unfolding, including one near the stage shortly after the boxers had stepped off the scale. A group of men can be seen trading punches after a heated exchange of words, even as Bill Haney — father of WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney — attempted to deescalate the conflict.
The elder Haney had been conducting an interview when he suddenly got pulled into the skirmish.
In a separate clip shared online, another brawl can be seen erupting in a hallway near some exit doors. The fight continued until it was eventually broken up by bystanders, video shows.
The scuffles came amid an already intense night, with tensions fueled by a brutal press conference on Thursday for the title fight between Lopez and Stevenson, during which the boxers exchanged insults about each other’s family members.
At some point, members of the crowd also joined in, shouting at the boxers and each other.
Following the incidents, Madison Square Garden announced on Saturday that anyone fighting at the arena could be “banned for life” from any MSG Entertainment Group venue, which also includes Radio City Music Hall and the Beacon Theatre.
“Violence will not be condoned at MSG across any type of event, including hockey, basketball, boxing, concerts or special events,” company officials in a statement. “If any individual is found to participate in violent activity, whether you are part of the event, or a patron, you will be banned for life and unable to attend or participate in any event across all our venues.”
The new rule came ahead of a busy weekend at MSG, which included the sold-out boxing event and a showdown between the Knicks and Lakers on Sunday.
With News Wire Services
