Top 10 Times Sore Losers Lashed Out in Sport
#10: Shaun Murphy
England’s Shaun “The Magician” Murphy is one of the greatest snooker players to pick up a cue. After all, he’s a former World Champion. However, Murphy’s reputation took a hit during the 2021 UK Championship, and not because he lost. In the Last 128, Murphy took on China’s Si Jiahui, who was an amateur at this point. Si caused one of the biggest upsets by beating Murphy 5 to 6. During a post-game interview, Murphy ranted that Si shouldn’t have been allowed in the tournament since he wasn’t a professional, claiming it “wasn’t fair.” After receiving some criticism for his words, Murphy apologized for diminishing Si’s victory but stood by his comments. He lost to him again at the 2023 World Championship.
#9: Ara Abrahamian
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Being a multi-time Men's Greco-Roman Wrestling World Champion and 2004 olympic silver medalist, Ara Abrahamian was probably hoping to score big at the 2008 event. Instead, he was defeated by Italy’s Andrea Minguzzi. Abrahamian exploded at the judges and claimed he lost due to “politics.” During the medal ceremony, Abrahamian shockingly placed his bronze on the floor and walked out, claiming he was retiring from wrestling. The International Olympic Committee disqualified Abrahamian from the event, and he was later banned from the sport for life by United World Wrestling. However, the ban was overturned in 2009 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, yet Abrahamian still didn’t get the bronze reinstated.
#8: Cristiano Ronaldo
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Since Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo burst into the football industry, fans have been enjoying their battle for who’s the greatest of all time. Usually, the two seemingly respect each other and bring out the best in each other. But this is not always the case.In 2021, after the Portuguese forward came 6th in the rankings for the Ballon d’Or and Messi picked up his seventh win of the prestigious award, a Ronaldo fan protested the loss on Instagram with a long post about his achievements this year while slating the Argentine icon and also briefly praising Robert Lewandowski. Ronaldo saw this, and let his thoughts be known, with a single word comment on the post.
#7: Amar'e Stoudemire
Playing for the New York Knicks against the Miami Heat in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the latter won 104-94. In frustration, Stoudemire punched a glass box that contained a fire extinguisher, causing him to cut his hand up so badly that it required treatment from paramedics. He was then seen leaving the arena in a sling and went on to miss Game 3 due to his self-inflicted injury. During Game 5, the Heat announcer wouldn’t let Stoudemire forget his actions by stating, when the forward was fouled, that he had been “extinguished.”
#6: Sjinkie Knegt
During any international sports event, all athletes know that many, many cameras will be on them during events. But, apparently, Sjinkie Knegt forgot this at the 2014 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships. Having already come second against Russia’s Viktor Ahn in the men’s 500-meter final, history repeated itself when Knegt lost to Ahn again in the 500-meter relay final. Instead of being gracious, the petulant Dutch skater flipped the birds behind Ahn’s back. Unsurprisingly, Knegt was disqualified for unsporting behavior. After collecting silver at the 2018 Winter Olympics, some believe Knegt learned nothing by stealthily showcasing his middle finger during a photo.
#5: Byun Jung-il
Considering South Korea was hosting the 1988 Summer Olympics, you’d expect officials and athletes to be on their best behavior. But no, not when it came to the men’s Bantamweight boxing. Byun Jung-il lost to Bulgaria’s Aleksandar Khristov on a 4-1 decision. Immediately, Korean fans booed the result. This is understandable, but what wasn’t was when several individuals, including South Korean coaches, swarmed into the ring, with some physically attacking the referee. After all that drama, Byun remained in the ring, sitting on the canvas for one hour and seven minutes as he protested the decision. Reportedly, the arena lights were even turned off, leaving NBC to put a spotlight on him, and still, the boxer stayed there, having a time-out.
#4: Arsenal
In October 2004, having already gone through the previous season unbeaten and setting a record, Arsenal’s “Invincible” team faced Manchester United in the Premier League looking to make it 50 games in a row since their last loss. The teams had been massive rivals for years, trading titles between them. However, the London side lost 2-nil, and they weren’t happy afterward due to perceived favoritism by the referee towards Manchester. In the tunnel, the two sides got into the infamous fight known as the Battle of the Buffet or Pizzagate. The name was coined after the Red Devils manager Alex Ferguson even had pizza lobbed on him by a mystery assailant. In 2017, former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas admitted he was the culprit.
#3: Jim Schwartz
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It’s strange how a simple yet slightly aggressive handshake between head coaches can result in a scuffle. But that’s what happened in October 2011 when the Detroit Lions surprisingly lost to the San Francisco 49ers 25-19. As the game ended, the 49ers’ joyous Jim Harbaugh shook Lions’ Jim Schwartz’s hand too hard and slapped him on the back. Schwartz was livid and seemingly attempted to square up to Harbaugh but was stopped by a collection of officials and players. Another bizarre handshake moment in American football saw college head coaches Deion Sanders and Eddie Robinson Jr. get into it after a game. After his team lost, Robinson Jr. quickly brushed off Sanders. He was reportedly upset at Sanders’ behavior and supposed antics leading up to the game.
#2: Marcos Baghdatis
At the 2012 edition of the Australian Open, Cypriot player Marcos Baghdatis took on Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka. Down by two sets at the break, Baghdatis released his frustrations in dramatic fashion. Like a magician pulling infinite plastic flowers out of nowhere, Baghdatis kept finding rackets to viciously destroy on the ground. The umpire was speechless and couldn't help but slightly smirk. This outburst cost Baghdatis a fine of $800. However, let’s not forget this isn’t the only time a player has lashed out in tennis…nor will it be the last….
#1: Ángel Matos
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Having previously won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics, this Cuban martial artist was probably hoping for a similar prize at the Men’s Taekwondo 80-plus kilogram division at the 2008 event. During the bronze-medal battle with Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov, Matos broke his toe and took a time-out. When he didn’t return in time, the ref believed he had retired and awarded victory to Chilmanov. After arguing, Matos kicked the referee in the face, causing him to need stitches. He then proceeded to punch another official on the arm! Unsurprisingly, the World Taekwondo Federation banned Matos for life. Looking back on the incident, Matos regrets his actions, although he still believes the judge was too harsh on the time-out.
