The 'Beat The Streets' wrestling tournament at Oak Park River Forest High School in Oak Park on April 8 took an ugly turn when a youth sucker punched his opponent out of spite after losing the match. The Oak Park police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Hafid Alicea of Maine West High School faced Cooper Corder of SPAR Wrestling Academy in a freestyle wrestling match and lost by a score of 14-2. As per tradition, the referee called the two wrestlers to the center of the mat to shake hands and announce Corder as the winner.
Alicea was in no mood to accept defeat gracefully, and the young man faked a handshake just before brutally sucker-punching Corder, sending him down to the floor. Alicea was escorted away by the referee just as Corders' parents rushed to their son's aid and began yelling in the perpetrator's direction.
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TMZ Sports reported that Cooper Corder suffered a broken nose from the punch and will not need to wear a special face mask in any upcoming bouts. The parents of the two minor boys are cooperating with the Oakland Park Police Department's investigation.
Fans react to youth sucker punching opponent after losing a wrestling match
In light of the awful incident at the 'Beat The Streets' wrestling tournament on April 8, many fans of high school sports were left disappointed at the dismal sportsmanship shown by the young wrestler out of Maine West High School.
After footage of the incident was uploaded to Twitter by MMA journalist Talen Guzman, fans and users expressed their thoughts in the comments section of the post.
One fan speculated on the reason behind Hafid Alicea's violent outburst and wrote:
"The kid in the blue has a bloody nose. Makes me think that something happened during the match."
Another fan claimed the kid and his parents must be held accountable, stating:
"Hope his parents are sued and this kid gets assault charges."
One user wrote:
"It would be ridiculous if he doesn't face criminal charges and be banned from athletics."
Another user suggested some penalties for Alicea and wrote:
"Ban him, bar any scholarships, and have his folks pay for damages. Kids these days are a nightmare, can’t deal with loss at all."
One fan stated:
"Loser in and out of the ring."
Another fan tweeted:
"Press charges. The perp is evil. Never seen anything like that before in HS sports."
Check out more reactions below: