Julius Francis won't be fired from his security job after knocking out a rowdy customer this weekend.
Francis, who fought Mike Tyson in 2020, was working in his job at BOXPARK Wembley when he ended up in a confrontation with an aggressive punter. The boxer was initially not heavily involved, but ultimately used his famed punching power to neutralise one particularly difficult person.
Footage posted on social media shows a group of men arguing with security outside the venue with Francis initially remaining in the background. The group is herded out of the security cordon where they continue to confront the staff.
WARNING: Strong language and violence
One man then turns to leave where he is met by Francis who lands a right hand which sends the punter to the ground. The person filming the incident can he heard saying, "Oh s***" as he hits the ground.
The former fighter walks away from the incident while the stricken man is helped by his friends. He is put in the recovery position while two other men talk to the former fighter. Another man is heard saying, "There was no need, there was no need".
Founder of BOXPARK Roger Wade has spoken out about the incident, saying in a statement: "I woke up to a viral story about one of our security team. Julius Francis is the ex-UK heavyweight boxing champion, he is one of the nicest people I have ever met and helps train young underprivileged kids boxing in his spare time.
"My understanding is that Julius and our security team spent 15 minutes stopping this man and his friends from abusing, spitting and hitting our customers and staff. They carefully escorted him from the premises under constant provocation and violence.
Do you know the man who was punched? Let us know in the comments section below
"Finally the person approached Julius in a confrontational manner and he defended himself. Acts of violence or abuse to any staff members should never be tolerated. How would you react if someone approached you violently? What would you do next if you were in my shoes? #IstandwithJulius"
Francis, 57, retired from the ring in 2006 with a record of 23-24-1, including a 2000 bout with Tyson at the Manchester Arena, in which he was stopped within two rounds. He had a solid career that also included a bout with Vitali Klitschko in 1998, although he was stopped in that fight as well.
The boxer was 21-7 when he fought Tyson at what was then called the MEN Arena in his first fight outside of America since his loss to Buster Douglas. The fight lasted barely four minutes and saw Francis dropped five times in that time period.
