Watch: Heavyweight knocks opponent out of ring headfirst

There's on the ropes and then there's through the ropes.

One boxer discovered the difference Friday night at a Top Rank bout in Maryland.

In a matchup of two heavyweights, the undefeated Cassius Chaney sent his opponent, Joel Caudle, tumbling headfirst out of the ring in a first-round beatdown.

This angle from just outside the ring captures exactly what happened to Caudle when he tumbled through the ropes:

Incredibly, Caudle beat the count and the fight was allowed to continue. The referee finally called a stoppage soon after.