Tik Tok star Salt Papi lands controversial KO over Beta Squad’s King Kenny as viewers claim he used illegal move to win

Tik Tok sensation Salt Papi scored the biggest win of his career on Thursday evening, but not everything was right in the aftermath.

The Filipino social media star defeated Beta Squad member King Kenny at the Misfits Boxing Super Card in Qatar, scoring a huge knockout in the third round. For years, fans had been clamoring to see the pair meet in the ring, with Salt Papi ultimately making the most of the exchange.

However, the victory was marred by a bit of controversy, as Kenny appeared to question the method in which he was defeated. Many fans shared his sentiments, feeling like an elbow may have been thrown during the final exchange.

Salt Papi defeats King Kenny in Qatar

One of the most anticipated fights of the evening in Qatar on Thursday was the highly anticipated clash between two of the most technically skilled boxers from the famed boxing scene. The star power of King Kenny and Salt Papi had been relatively unaffected by multiple defeats, and the hype was high.

Kenny, the bigger of the two, used his jab to great effect as usual early in the fight, while his brother Daley Perales led the way from the corner. But Salt Papi managed to find the shots he was looking for and eventually take control.

There was an issue prior to the fight between the two teams based on the number of rounds, with Kenny believing they would fight for six rounds and Papi thinking it was five rounds. But it turned out they didn't need all six as in the third the Filipino landed a sharp right uppercut that sent his rival swinging through the ropes.

Kenny tried to beat the count, but after stumbling when the referee asked him to move forward, the fight was stopped. It made for a huge night for Papi, whose boxing momentum is now back with three stoppage wins on the bounce.

Fans are crying on social media after Salt Papi vs King Kenny

In the immediate aftermath of the fight, viewers were generally in awe of what had just happened to Salt Papi. However, that quickly changed when a new angle started going viral, showing the winner landing an illegal elbow in the winning exchange.

Other angles seemed to indicate it was a legal punch, with his glove making significant impact before the elbow hit. But it still caused an uproar on X, with users claiming the pair should be forced to match again.

“I saw the replay,” one eagle-eyed fan wrote. “It looks like a Salt Papi elbow. The KO win against Kenny needs to be overturned.” One commentator replied: “Anyone who says this isn't an elbow doesn't know anything about boxing. That blow barely hit the nose.”

However, the incident was divisive, with others insisting that different angles provided a clearer picture of what happened.

King Kenny responds after first injury defeat

One man who was quick to respond to X was the man of the hour, King Kenny. After a respectful moment between the two in the ring, things seemed a bit more bitter on social media as he managed to get a glimpse into what happened.

“Am I eavesdropping or is that not an elbow?” He asked in a viral tweet that was viewed more than 1.3 million times in just a few hours. He followed that up by complaining about the stoppage, adding, “And I got up and I felt fine to keep fighting again, did the walk? Smh.”

He wasn't the only Beta Squad member who shared a similar opinion; his good friend Sharky also came to his defense on X. “It looks like an elbow to me,” the influencer wrote in another viral tweet.

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