Adonis Stevenson in critical condition after KO loss to Oleksandr Gvozdyk

Prior to the Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury event, the WBC light heavyweight title was at stake between Adonis Stevenson and Oleksandr Gvozdyk in what was billed as a fairly even, hard-to-predict bout.

With Gvozdyk behind on the scorecards and having been hurt in the 10th round, he rallied back to hurt Stevenson in that same round, and then hurt the Canadian again late in the 11th. A combination of sharp punches caused Stevenson to collapse to the mat, prompting an immediate referee stoppage. Gvozdyk ended Stevenson’s 5 ¹⁄₂ year reign as champion, but the aftermath is quite concerning.

Stevenson never returned to the center of the ring for the official decision to be read out. Instead, he was taken out of the ring on a stretched and hospitalized following the bout, and his condition has taken a turn for the worse. His promoter Yvon Michel tweeted that Stevenson is in intensive care and in critical condition. The Montreal Journal reports that the 41-year-old has been placed in an artificial coma as a preventative measure due to a possible a brain hemorrhage.

Bloody Elbow will provide updates on Stevenson’s health as more details are available.