Three-time New Jersey high school wrestling champion Anthony Knox Jr. was disqualified from major tournaments after being involved in a crowd brawl at the Feb. 22 wrestling tournament, officials said.
Knox Jr. said he saw his father surrounded by an adversary crowd and ran in to protect him, ABC 7 News It has been reported. Videos obtained by outlets from the New Jersey Innovative Athletics Association (NJSIAA) show the subsequent brawl. His father is a former MMA fighter. (Related: Louisiana State gymnast died in a traffic accident at age 18)
“I did not underestimate this decision,” said Richard Lamberson, executive director of the NJSIAA, about his disqualification from the Knox Junior organization’s wrestling championship. “I am fully aware of the outcomes of student-athletes. He is a senior and this disqualification effectively ends his high school career.”
“Unfortunately, this event, which escalated adult emotional emotions, has had the most impact on young athletes, and it is extremely discouraged. Our athletes must be accountable for their actions and will use this event as a learning experience for athletes and school communities,” said St. John Vianney High School, attended by School Knox Jr., in a statement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewceyesas4
“I saw my family surrounded,” Knox Jr. told the outlet. “And I always lived with the motto that family is all about it.”
Knox Sr. defended his son’s actions, claiming that in the crowd there was an instigator who cried out shaming at his family and teammates. He said he was trying to calm the crowd by asking them to stop it. “A group of grown men were screaming indecent things at my wife. The racial slurs of his (Knox Jr.) teammates have been coaching since they were six,” Knox Sr. said. The Knox family believes disqualification is unfair.
“As the day progressed, things got worse,” said Debra Knox, the athlete’s mother. “And no one stepped in.”
The family’s attorney, Lawrence Lutrell, sued on their behalf in Mercer County Superior Court. He claimed that wrestlers who completed the match were not assigned a bench.
