Kaliningrad boxer Sergey Gorokhov and his team were attacked by a mob in the ring in Turkey after Gorokhov knocked out local boxer Emirhan Kalkan in the second round. Gorokhov, who entered the fight with a 16-11-2 record against Kalkan's 7-0, had also scored a knockdown in the first round. After celebrating his victory, Gorokhov was confronted by a man in civilian clothes who appeared connected to Kalkan, and when Gorokhov's cornerman Ismael pushed the man, a crowd rushed the ring and began attacking Gorokhov and his team. Ismael and another cornerman were taken to the hospital, and after treatment the team immediately drove from Trabzon to Georgia, removing Russian license plates as a precaution. According to Gorokhov's social media, approximately 50 people were involved in the attack.
Russian boxer Sergey Gorokhov and his team were attacked by a crowd of roughly 50 people inside the ring in Trabzon, Turkey on April 26, after Gorokhov stopped local fighter Emirhan Kalkan in the second round of their bout.
Gorokhov, a Kaliningrad native, entered the fight as the significantly more experienced man, carrying a 16-11-2 professional record into the contest. Kalkan was unbeaten heading in at 7-0, and the bout was staged on home soil for the Turkish prospect. Gorokhov had already dropped Kalkan with a knockdown in the first round before finishing the fight in the second.
The trouble began shortly after Gorokhov celebrated the stoppage victory. A man in civilian clothes, believed to be connected to Kalkan's camp, entered the ring and confronted Gorokhov. When one of Gorokhov's cornermen, identified as Ismael, moved to push the man back, a large group rushed the ring and the situation turned violent. Both Ismael and a second member of Gorokhov's corner were injured badly enough to require hospital treatment.
Why it matters
- The attack raises serious safety concerns for visiting fighters competing in front of partisan crowds
- Two cornermen were hospitalized as a direct result of the post-fight violence
- The incident highlights the risks facing foreign fighters in regions with heightened geopolitical tensions
After receiving treatment, the team did not wait to see what came next. According to posts Gorokhov made on social media, the group drove immediately from Trabzon toward Georgia, and removed the Russian license plates from their vehicle as a precaution before crossing the border.
