If you read the article carefully, it says, "A controversial alternative to black hole theory has been bolstered by observations of an object in the distant universe".
Note the word "bolstered". It does not say there has been no other proof up until this point, merely that this is the strongest/most obvious evidence to date. There have been numerous articles published in respected astro-phisics journals on this "controversial alternative" by Stan Robertson and Darryl Leiter (who is quoted in the article). Disclaimer: Yes, I'm son of that Stan, and I've been listening to him go on about black hole alternatives for a decade now.
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If you read the article carefully, it says, "A controversial alternative to black hole theory has been bolstered by observations of an object in the distant universe".
Note the word "bolstered" . It does not say there has been no other proof up until this point, merely that this is the strongest/most obvious evidence to date. There have been numerous articles published in respected astro-phisics journals on this "controversial alternative" by Stan Robertson and Darryl Leiter (who is quoted in the article). Disclaimer: Yes, I'm son of that Stan, and I've been listening to him go on about black hole alternatives for a decade now.