Petar Milas Stops Granit Shala Late After Poor Refereeing Raises Concern

Petar Milas scored a late stoppage victory over Granit Shala in the co-feature of the Kabayel–Knyba event, a heavyweight fight that remained closely contested on unofficial cards before a difficult final round shifted attention away from scoring and toward fighter safety.

Entering the tenth round, unofficial scoring varied sharply. Members of the German press row and the DAZN Germany broadcast team had Shala ahead, reflecting his work in the early rounds, where he landed clean single shots and managed the pace for long stretches. Those rounds were controlled rather than dominant, but enough to influence ringside impressions.

From my viewpoint at ringside, the balance appeared to tilt toward Milas as the fight progressed. Over the middle rounds, Milas applied steadier pressure, improved his positioning, and increased his output. While Shala continued to have moments, Milas was dictating where exchanges took place and forcing more consistent work, which reasonably placed him two rounds ahead for me before the final round began.

The contrast highlighted how the fight could be read differently depending on whether emphasis was placed on early success or sustained control.

 Tenth-Round Sequence Raises Immediate Safety Concerns

The tenth round brought a sudden and uncomfortable conclusion. After dropping Shala for the first time, Milas did not rush to finish the fight. Instead, he turned toward the referee  Timo Habighorst  and indicated that Shala was struggling, urging him to assess Shala’s condition.

When the action resumed, Milas remained composed and threw a short one-two that landed cleanly, sending Shala down again. Shala attempted to rise but was visibly unsteady, using the ropes to pull himself upright as the count continued.

It could be argued that Habighorst had an opportunity to intervene after the first knockdown. Instead, he allowed the fight to continue, during which Shala absorbed further unanswered punishment before Shala’s corner then intervened, throwing in the towel and stepping toward the ring to check on their fighter. Despite these clear signals, the referee still continued the count before finally stopping the fight.

The prolonged count and lack of immediate intervention stood out, particularly given Shala’s condition and the combined warnings coming from both the opponent and the corner.

Milas moved his record to 20-1 with the stoppage, while Shala fell to 18-2. Debate over the scoring before the final round is likely to continue, but the ending placed the focus firmly on the need for clear and timely intervention when a fighter is no longer able to protect himself.