An American boxing ring announcer has stepped down after incorrectly announcing the victor of a championship about last weekend.
On Saturday night, during a rumble in Australia between Cherneka Johnson and Nina Hughes, announcer Dan Hennessey read out the scorecards from the judges and incorrectly declared Hughes the victor of the WBA bantamweight championship.
The judges were the deciding factor in Saturday’s decision between Johnson and Hughes, which went the distance. Both competitors were confident in their victory and awaited the decision.
The referee and boxers gathered around Hennessey, who declared Hughes the victor and burst into joy.
Hennessey rethought his statement and summoned the boxers back to the center of the ring. He announced that Johnson had won by split decision. Hughes went from being told she had won the championship to learning she had lost her first professional match.
Johnson was now jumping up and down.
Joe Tessitore of ESPN blasted Hennessey for his part in creating a mess.
Hennessey issued a Facebook apology. Unable to cope with the ensuing social media criticism, he announced his retirement.
During an episode of the “Comedy Gold Minds with Kevin Hart” podcast, comedian and TV host Steve Harvey commented on his now-infamous 2015 Miss Universe gaffe, in which he proclaimed the incorrect winner. Instead of Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, who really won the competition, he declared Ariadna Gutierrez, who was actually the first runner-up, as the winner.
The best actress envelope was mistakenly handed to Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, who were responsible for presenting the finale and, according to the 2017 Academy Awards, the Best Picture.
The envelope was passed to Dunaway by a bewildered Beatty, who read “La La Land.”
Then, after all the jumping up and down by the La La Land crew, Moonlight was revealed as the actual Best Picture winner.
It happens.
