Bloody and dogged fight “to honor their family name” goes viral and receives mixed reactions

A shocking video of two Irish Travellers engaging in a 32-minute bloody bareknuckle fight surrounded by a cheering crowd has gone viral.

The men, Davie Joyce and Michael Navin, are from Traveller families who had been calling each other out via YouTube videos. They met in an abandoned parking lot in Hemel Hempstead, near Hertfordshire in England, where they were surrounded by several onlookers.

With five minutes of the start of the fight Navin’s nose was bleeding, but the pair continued to scrap on the wet concrete. At seven minutes the referees were ready to call time on the fight, but Joyce and Navin continued to grapple. At 15 minutes the referees try to force an end to the fight, but two carried on, bloodied, as the crowds appeal for them to stop.

After 32 minutes the fight was called as a draw.

WARNING: The content of the video may be disturbing to some viewers

Davie Joyce vs Michael Navin full fight

Posted by Bare Knuckle Fighting on Sunday, 17 December 2017

The video, posted on Dec 17 on the the Facebook page "Bare Knuckle Fighting" has had over 212,000 views and more recently has gone viral, due to the shocking content of the video.

Ifran Iqbal, who filmed the fight, said: 'The fight took place at a secret location around Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.

“The fight between Davie Joyce vs Michael Navin started at 15.22 hours to be precise. It was very cold and wet; the fight lasted for 32 minutes and was agreed a draw by both fighters.

“Both referees, known as 'fair play men,' were cousins to each fighter.

“The fight was over a long-term, unsettled argument via YouTube challenges to each other to honor their family name.”

Online reaction to the fight has been mixed with the LadBible referring to the brawl as nothing more than extreme a children’s playground fight. The Daily Mail referred to the video as “sickening.” The public reaction was also mixed, with some declaring the men savages and others commending the fighters for settling their differences “like men.”

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