The ringside medical team works to revive Staff Sgt. Geremy Ganaway after he was knocked out in the second round by 2nd Lt. John Rigsbee during the Tough Soldier Boxing Invitational at Camp, South Korea, on Saturday. Medics from Company D, 168th Medical Battalion are Capt. Rachelle Beseman (left), Capt. Jason Park (center) and Sgt. Jeffrey Boyle. (Steven Hoover / U.S. Army)
The ringside medical team works to revive Staff Sgt. Geremy Ganaway after he was knocked out in the second round by 2nd Lt. John Rigsbee during the Tough Soldier Boxing Invitational at Camp, South Korea, on Saturday. Medics from Company D, 168th Medical Battalion are Capt. Rachelle Beseman (left), Capt. Jason Park (center) and Sgt. Jeffrey Boyle. (Steven Hoover / U.S. Army)
2nd Lt. John Rigsbee waits for his opponent to enter the ring during the Tough Soldier Boxing Invitational at Camp Carroll in South Korea last Saturday. (Steven Hoover / U.S. Army)
Staff Sgt. Geremy Ganaway, right, readies a punch at 2nd Lt. John Rigsbee during the Tough Soldier Boxing Invitational. (Steven Hoover / U.S. Army)
PYEONGTAEK, South Korea — A dramatic super heavyweight knockout during an Army boxing match at Camp Carroll last weekend left the crowd standing in their seats, chanting and running up and down the aisles.
Officials said it was the first time in recent memory a fighter has been knocked unconscious during an Army boxing competition in South Korea.
The explosive moment came Saturday when 2nd Lt. John Rigsbee landed a shot to the chin of Staff Sgt. Geremy Ganaway about 45 seconds into the second round.
Ganaway dropped heavily to the canvas and lay unconscious for a suspenseful five minutes before Army medics revived him, said Carlos Algarin, Camp Carroll’s sports director.
“You should have seen the crowd — this was a madhouse in here,” Algarin said of the knockdown during the Tough Soldier Boxing Invitational. “Oh my God. The crowd just went nuts. Everybody just went nuts in here. I would say probably 75 percent were behind Lt. Rigsbee … everybody from his unit was here.”
Both soldiers are stationed at Camp Carroll, Rigsbee with Company C, 307th Integrated Theater Signal Battalion and Ganaway with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 6th Ordnance Battalion.
The knockout was partly a surprise because Ganaway seemed to dominate the first round, hammering Rigsbee with flurries of punches.
But, Algarin said, it also appeared Rigsbee was holding back, giving Ganaway time to expend his energy so he could go after him hard in round two.
Algarin praised Capt. Jason Park, Capt. Rachelle Beseman and Sgt. Jeffrey Boyle, the 168th Medical Battalion personnel who lost no time in getting to Ganaway. “All the proper procedures were followed before, during and after” the competition, Algarin said. The event also drew fighters from the U.S. Air Force at Kunsan Air Base and the U.S. Navy at Chinhae Naval Base, Algarin said.
Tough Soldier Boxing Invitational
Saturday at Camp Carroll’s Crown Jewel Fitness Center in Waegwan.
Welterweight (152-164 lbs.): Spc. Juan C. Ramos over Airman 1st Class Ken Cerreta. RSC at 1 minute, 40 seconds of 2nd Round.
Welterweight: Pfc. Larry Jordan over Spc. Derek Linville. RSC at 1:43 of 1st Round.
Middleweight (165-177 lbs.): Pfc. Raymond Arce over Pfc. Scott Denney. Split decision, 2 judges to 1 for Arce.
Middleweight: Pfc. Adrian Magana over Pfc. Dondre Borden. RSC at 1:25 of 2nd Round.
Middleweight: Exhibition, Pvt. Maureen Walz over Staff Sgt. Lillia Maxilon. Split decision, 2 judges to 1 for Walz.
Middleweight: Pvt. Michael Neely over Mathew Hoover. RSC at 1:55 of 1st Round.
Light Welterweight (152-164 lbs.): Exhibition, 1st Lt. Agnes Chu over Spc. Jean Yarborough. RSC at 1:13 of 2nd Round.
Light Heavyweight (178-200 lbs.): Staff Sgt. Larry Howard over Pfc. Michael Carroll. RSC at 1:15 of 3rd Round.
Super Heavyweight (over 216 lbs.): 2nd Lt. John Rigsbee over Staff Sgt. Geremy Ganaway. Knockout in 2nd Round.
Light Heavyweight: Spc. Ricky Clay over Spc. George Bunton. RSC at .45 in 3rd Round.
