British boxer Joe Laws was compelled to withdraw from his scheduled bout in Lagos, Nigeria, on Friday night after security personnel deployed tear gas to disperse fans attempting to force their way into the arena without tickets. The incident occurred during the undercard of an event headlined by a clash between influencers Portable and Carter Efe.
Chaos Erupts at Lagos Arena
Fans without tickets tried to storm the venue, prompting security to use tear gas to regain control. The gas spread throughout the arena, affecting those present, including Laws, who was warming up away from the ring. The 31-year-old fighter from Benwell, Newcastle, took to Facebook on Saturday morning to describe the ordeal, writing: "Came as a honey badger left with sore eyes. Video posting today explaining." He also labelled his opponent Elvis Ahorga and his team as "clowns" and mentioned he was "foaming."
Fight Cancelled Amidst Tear Gas
The bout between Laws and Ahorga was ultimately cancelled. DAZN cameras captured the moment the referee stopped the undercard fight between Basit Adebayo and Loren Japhet, instructing both fighters to cover their faces to avoid the gas. A commentator noted, "It does look like we're going to have to take a break for people to get themselves back," while a colleague confirmed the presence of tear gas in the air. Footage of the incident quickly went viral, with Claressa Shields, women's heavyweight world champion, commenting, "Wow this is pretty insane." Others expressed concern for safety, with one user stating, "This is really unfortunate. Hope all fighters, officials, and fans are safe."
Event Resumes Later
Despite the disruption, the event resumed later in the night. Carter Efe defeated Portable via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 30-27. Laws, who has a professional record of 15 wins and four losses since his debut in 2018, has faced personal tragedy in the past. In October 2024, his older brother Jason was killed alongside seven-year-old Archie York in an explosion that destroyed several homes in Benwell. Laws reflected on his loss in an interview with ITV Tyne Tees, stating: "Every fight he would always just turn up - out of the blue. I love him to bits and he'll be a great miss. Life isn't fair sometimes. What can I do? Sit in the corner and cry? I've got kids that look up to me - I've got fantastic friends and family so the show will go on. The show must go on."
