Can anyone think of instances where a fighter was taken from the ring on a stretcher and came back to have meaningful career thereafter? I’ve been around boxing for decades and in addition to TV/streaming viewings have been to literally hundreds of fights in person, and I am struggling to even think of instances where a fighter was stretchered out that weren’t either fatal or serious long-term damage. The fact that multiple people had to lift him up/hold him just to sit upright is disturbing. I‘be seen exhaustion up close but never to that degree — where after a bit of time to recover an athlete couldn’t even sit up without aid — which makes me think there was some major damage beyond just being gassed.
He was not even knocked out. It was exhaustion. I have seen some cases of fighters having severe issues from exhaustion, like heart issues. But it wasn't from Hrgovic's punching.
After collapsing from extreme exhaustion and having the fight stopped at the end of the fifth round, Wlad Klitschko was completely spent and unable to properly stand or respond. Medical staff and officials attended to him in the ring, and because of grave concerns over his physical condition, he was taken out of the arena on a stretcher and rushed directly to a hospital trauma unit via ambulance. He went on to have a long reign and 19 title wins in a row.
Ezzard at a similar age recovered from the Lloyd Marshall beating. Think he took off a few years to find himself though.
I cannot find video or written confirmation that Wlad was stretchered out following his loss to Brewster. Obviously that doesn’t mean it did not happen. He did go to the hospital to be checked out, as was common for Nevada stoppage victims at the time.
Whatever you wish to attribute the cause to (if you look carefully at the video, you might notice that Hrgovic is, indeed, punching Moses in the final round, with both vigor and frequency), he was stretchered out. That is what I am addressing.
David Haye had a similar experience when he was young and punched himself out against Carl Thompson. Like him or not, he turned out to do well after that fight.
Leaving the ring on a stretcher is almost always bad news. Even 'Super' Brian Nielsen rolled out of the ring and walked off & he ended up on life support!
It was both. Hrgovic isn't a big puncher but he ain't featherfisted either. He hit Itauma on the chin, the plexus, the liver, all the sweet spots. Itauma was kinda tough ngl.
Yes. I checked the info and Wlad actually left the ring on his legs, being supported by Vitaly and Steward (which is quite strange given his condition in the corner). He was put on stretcher in the dressing room (as a safety precaution for transportation to the hospital).