Mor Oknin's Fight Apparently Canceled

Larry Merchant once described boxing as "the theater of the unexpected." Sometimes it's more like the theater of the absurd.

Mor Oknin was scheduled to fight Sunday night at the Ciudad Deportiva Carmen Serdán in Mexico City, Mexico. He had flown all the way from Israel a couple of days ago to fight an opponent who reportedly didn’t show up for the weigh-in. The fight was apparently canceled.

The event promoted by TT Promotions was streamed on Vamos Deportes Boxeo's YouTube channel. Almost two hours into the show, a strange thing occurred. Oknin got into the ring wearing a white robe with a blue Star of David and his customary number 26, also in blue. Tzitzit hung down from the robe. On the back read his surname along with his nickname "The Son of the Lion" and a larger Star of David. His trunks were also white and donned the small blue six-pointed star and his number on the back. His red Reyes gloves jabbed at shadows as he waited for the announcer to introduce him.

The ring announcer declared Rafael "El Leon" Oknin of Israel the winner by technical knockout. The referee raised Oknin's hand as he rapped along with with Ness & Stilla's controversial song Harbu Darbu that blared from the speakers. He took bows in the ring and fist bumped the announcer and the two ring card girls before exiting. But there had been no opponent and no fight.

Before Sunday night, Oknin contended that his professional record is 3-0. BoxRec says it's 1-1. He won his first bout by KO when his opponent injured his hand in 2021. The following year, Oknin undoubtedly fought in February in Mexico. The result is a matter of contention. The commission told BoxRec, Oknin lost by TKO. Oknin claims he won by TKO. BoxRec admits that commissions, particularly in Mexico, sometimes feed the site false results.

Last September, Oknin won when his opponent retired in the corner after the second round. Yet, his fight is not listed on BoxRec. The rest of the event is on the site, although it is listed as taking place on the Tuesday, September 5 when it actually took place on Sunday, September 3.

All that is to say, Mor Oknin is intimately aware of boxing's absurdity.