Boxer doorsteps Twitter troll after online taunts

By RAY PHILP
Published on 12/03/2013 15:45

A Twitter user who mocked Curtis Woodhouse after he lost a title fight on points was forced to issue a grovelling apology after the boxer turned up on the troll’s street just hours later.

After receiving abusive messages on the social networking site from user @jimmyob88, Woodhouse offered Twitter followers a £1,000 reward in exchange for the culprit’s location.

Woodhouse, a former professional footballer, had lost his English light-welterweight title to Shane Singleton last Friday, after which he was branded a “complete disgrace” and told to “retire immediately” by the user.

Initially unperturbed by the threat of being visited by Woodhouse, @jimmyob88 tweeted: “@woodhousecurtis what u going to do knock me out like your last opponent ooops”.

A determined Woodhouse managed to track down the street on which the anonymous user lived, and posted a photograph of the street sign to over 20,000 followers.

“Right Jimbob im here !!!!! someone tell me what number he lives at, or do I have to knock on every door #itsshowtime,” Woodhouse then tweeted.

Realising that the boxer was yards away from his house, the troll relented and said he was “only joking about.”

He added: “I am sorry its getting abit out of hand i am in the wrong i accept that.”

Woodhouse, who played for a host of clubs including Sheffield United and Hull City before retiring from football, conceded the escapade was “daft” before driving back home, but received widespread support from high-profile Twitter users.

Politician John Prescott, former boxer Lennox Lewis and footballer Joey Barton all praised Woodhouse’s actions. Prescott said: “THIS is how we deal with things in Hull,” while Barton called Woodhouse “my hero”.