Top N.J. high school wrestler Anthony Knox vows to fight his ban for role in brawl
One of the nation's top high school wrestlers has been disqualified from the New Jersey state championships for his role in a brawl.
But the story may not be over.
For St. John Vianney High School senior Anthony Knox Jr., the upcoming NJSIAA state tournament was supposed to mark the start of a triumphant march towards a historic fourth straight state championship before heading off to Cornell University.
But this year's event has taken a turn in an unexpected direction.
Knox's father describes what happened in the stands
During the NJ District 25 tournament at Collingswood High School on Saturday, Knox Jr. was reportedly involved in brawl in the stands.
"I saw a bunch of grown men yelling racial slurs at kids that I've been training since they were 6 years old, cursing at my son, cursing at my wife," his father, Anthony Knox Sr., said. "As a man, I walked over, walked up into the stands, and asked the guy to stop. At that point, I was assaulted. Never threw a punch. Never hurt anybody. Never ran up there like a bat out of hell, just throwing punches at people. None of that happened. I got pushed down the bleachers. I could have gotten seriously injured. Then I got surrounded by about 10 other families."
Competition gave way to chaos and Knox Jr. said he did what family does.
"The protection of my family is the No. 1 thing to me," he said. "If I had a choice of protecting my family or never wrestling a match again, I would choose protecting my family every single time. I felt that my family's lives and well being were at risk, and that's why I stepped in."
The aftermath
Of all those involved, only Anthony Jr. and his father were led away in handcuffs. The NJSIAA made a swift and severe ruling of disqualification, with the executive director saying, "My role is to uphold the integrity of high school athletics by ensuring that all participants adhere to the same rules and are held to the same standards of sportsmanship and safety."
When asked where the instigators were from, Knox's dad said, "West Deptford," adding with his son's disqualification a wrestler from West Deptford High School could benefit.
Knox Jr.'s attorney is filing an injunction that would allow him to compete until a proper hearing can be held. Until then, we don't know if his next battle will be on the mat or in court.
When asked if he regrets anything that happened, Knox Jr. said, "I will stand by that fact that I will protect my family under any circumstance."
St. John Vianney High School said in a statement it respects the decision of the NJSIAA after its investigation, adding it does not condone violence of any kind and last weekend's incident is not indicative of what the school or wrestling program stands for.
CBS News New York reached out to West Deptford High School for comment but did not immediately hear back.
