19 April 2023 , 16:06
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Police have opened an investigation into a sucker punch that took place following an Illinois youth wrestling match.
The incident occurred after Cooper Corder of SPAR Wrestling Academy defeated Hafid Alicea of Maine West High School 14-2 at the "Beat The Streets" tournament on April 8 at Oak Park River Forest High School to finish third.
Following the conclusion of the match, the referee invited the two competitors to shake hands and announce Corder as the winner. However, as the pair went to shake hands, Alicea punched Corder in the face, dropping him to the mat. Two adults rushed to the teenager’s side to check on him while Alicea was ushered away to prevent any potential confrontations following the incident.
“What the f***,” said the woman quickly on the scene. According to TMZ Sports, Corder suffered a broken nose. Corder will also now have to wear a protective mask during his upcoming wrestling matches.
In a positive turn, Corder is back in training. “He is making the best of the situation and is already back to training,” SPAR Academy founder Justin Pearch said. “As you may know, wrestling matches can get heated but nothing leading up to the punch would give cause to such bad decision-making on the opponent’s part. It’s not tolerated in our sport and Spar Wrestling will never condone that behaviour.”
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An investigation is reportedly underway from the Oak Park Police, and a spokesperson has confirmed to TMZ that the parents of both Corder and Alicea are cooperating with their inquiries.
The viral clip sparked outrage on social media after going viral. “Wrestling is a 24/365-hour commitment of self-discipline,” Twitter user @Aequitassancti wrote.
“Yes, the room is where you learn to deal with emotions. This young man disrespected his team, his coach, his school and his family. These people need to teach him how to deal with loss."
Another Twitter user added: “That’s the most gutless sucker punch I’ve ever seen.”