Adonis Stevenson Update: The ex-Champion has Regained Consciousness

Adonis Stevenson, who was placed into a medically induced coma following his Dec. 1 loss to Oleksandr Gvozdyk, has apparently regained consciouness. In a news release, Stevenson’s girlfriend Simone God wrote, “Despite reports to the contrary, I wanted to clarify that Adonis is awake…He is healing from his injury in the private company of his family and his dedicated medical team. Adonis is a world champion in the ring and is exhibiting the same grit, strength and determination in his recovery.”

The news was totally unexpected. Two days earlier Stevenson’s promoter Yvon Michel had told the press that there was no change in the boxer’s condition.

Entering the Dec. 1 fight with Gvozdyk in Quebec City, the Montreal-based Stevenson, 41, was boxing’s longest reigning active champion. In the 11^th round in what had been a competitive fight, he was felled by a barrage of punches and collapsed in a neutral corner. The referee immediately waived the fight off. The fight aired live on Showtime as a teaser to the pay-per-view event that would follow: Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury.

Stevenson was ahead on two of the scorecards (98-92 and 96-94) heading into the 11^th. The third judge had it even. The 98-92 card, which Gvozdyk’s trainer Teddy Atlas labeled criminal, belonged to Quebec judge Jack Woodburn.

It was obvious that Stevenson was badly hurt, but he was able to make it back to his dressing room on his own power. After showering, however, he felt dizzy, was re-examined by a ringside physician who summoned an ambulance, and was removed to a local hospital for what was termed a “precautionary measure.” But he arrived at the hospital unconscious and it immediately became apparent that he had suffered a traumatic brain injury. It was the sort of injury, said an attending physician, for which the majority of survivors suffer permanent deficits.

Two days later, Yvon Michel announced that his condition had been upgraded from critical to stable, but that he remained in a coma and required a ventilator to breathe.

The unexpected news that Adonis has awakened after three weeks in a coma is cause for jubilation. We here at The Sweet Science and true fight fans around the world root for a full recovery.

Check out more boxing news on video at The Boxing Channel.

To comment on this article in the Boxing Forum, CLICK HERE