Edwin De Los Santos Camp Appeals Jose Valenzuela’s Removal Case to Nevada Commission
The quick finish became one of the most debated moments in boxing. The slow-Moyo match showed Valenzuela throwing a left after being hit, leading to some disagreement as to whether this sequence should have been considered a foul or if it affected the outcome.
Nevada officials have already addressed the incident and refused to change the outcome. Executive Director Jeff Mullen told Mike Coppinger that the commission examined multiple angles of the replay and concluded that the subsequent punch grazed De Los Santos’ chin while connecting with his shoulder. Mullen added that the commission believed the legitimate right hander scored and decided the fight.
Clark said his request is about the consistent application of boxing rules and the protection of the fighters.
“Rules are rules. It doesn’t matter where the shot landed or how hard it was,” Clark said. “If the fighter is kneeling or on the ground, it is illegal to hit him.
Clark admitted that the punch that initially knocked De Los Santos down was legal but questioned how the follow-up was handled afterwards.
“It’s my job to appeal this decision. The punch that knocked him down was a good shot by Valenzuela. However, if De Los Santos was out, the referee would have stopped the count and called the fight. Everyone who watches this fight knows it’s bad.”
Clark said the appeal goes beyond the outcome of one fight.
“My request is focused on the protection of combatants. If the federal commission against multiple wars says that illegal shooting does not affect the outcome of the war, that is a problem in the game.”
He also pointed to the rivals’ first meeting in 2022, when De Los Santos was penalized for beating Valenzuela after the former WBA junior welterweight champion broke the ropes.
“A situation like this happened in their first battle,” Clark said. “Edwin got a punch after Valenzuela was torn from the ropes. The difference is, the mistake was seen, it was called, Edwin was stripped of the point, and Valenzuela had time to recover.”
Despite the appeal, De Los Santos said he is not focused on the controversial finish and hopes to resolve the feud in the ring.
“I will allow the appeal to go through the proper channels, but I will not focus on illegal singing,” said De Los Santos. “I got caught with a good shot. I was surprised, but I wasn’t hurt. I won’t make excuses. I’ll finally get a chance to fight him again.”
The commission has already ruled that the knockout will stand, but Clark is asking Nevada to review the incident, saying that a punch thrown after a fighter is down should be ruled an illegal blow regardless of whether officials believe it changed the final outcome.
