Jewish Boxer Salita Was Stopped 76 Seconds Into Fight

By JTA December 7, 2009

American Jewish boxer Dmitriy Salita was stopped 1:16 into his World Boxing Association light-welterweight championship bout.

Champion Amir Khan, a Muslim of Pakistani descent, floored the unbeaten Salita twice Saturday night before the referee halted the match in Newcastle, England. Salita, who sported a Star of David on his trunks, also took a standing-eight count.

Salita, an Orthodox Jew, studies at a Chabad yeshiva in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Salita, 27, came in as a heavy underdog despite a 30-0-1 record and being the No. 1 contender for the crown. He was knocked down 10 seconds into the fight, took the eight count after another shot, then was sent to the canvas again before referee Luis Pabon of Puerto Rico stepped in after 76 seconds.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO