In October 11 of 2002, a boxing match between Leonardo Amitrano (1-1-0) and Hernan Abraham Valenzuela (11-13-0) took place in San Luís, Argentina for the lightweight division.

By the sixth round, Amitrano knocked down his opponent and got angry with the referee Pablo Altavilla, complaining that he was taking too long to start the countdown and to put up Valenzuela’s mouthpiece.

The referee left the ring and came back seconds later to restart the fight, but suddenly, Amitrano bashed him with a sucker punch to the jaw, followed by a vicious combination. Altavilla hits the canvas, completely passed out.

According to the Argentinean newspaper Clarín, the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Federation of San Luis suspended him. The maximum penalty prescribed by regulation is one year, but the board of the FAB (Argentinian Boxing Federation) is empowered to extend the penalty, that could reach 18 or 24 months.

A professional fighter only uses his fists in the ring against an opponent. This is taught to a boxer at the first day he sets his feet in a gym. This huge display of unprofessionalism is how Leonardo El Toro Amitrano ended his short career in boxing.

The referee in boxing has several responsibilities surrounding almost every aspect of the match. Initially, in the 1980s, the referee was also in charge to judging the fight results. This function has been gradually removed to the referee.

Currently, the main functions of a referee is restricted to only the application of the rules. The referee is obliged to instructing both boxers before the fight, determine when to start or stop a countdown when a boxer hits the canvas, warn the boxer when he commits a serious offense and if necessary, he can take points. The most important task of this job is to halt the match when the physical state of a boxer is serious. [Source:Clarín]