A frightening scene unfolded Sunday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit when light heavyweight Joe George Jr. collapsed in his corner following the opening round of his bout against Atif Oberlton.
George and Oberlton, competing on the undercard of Claressa Shields vs. Franchon Crews-Dezurn, clashed heads during the first round. After returning to his stool at the end of the round, George suddenly fell from his seat as his trainers attempted to give instructions. He regained consciousness but was unable to continue and was taken from the ring on a stretcher.
According to his trainer, Hylon Williams, George was in stable condition and undergoing an MRI at a local hospital. Oberlton was awarded the victory by TKO.
Oberlton (15-0), visibly shaken by the incident, immediately embraced George after he regained consciousness. *“I just wanted to make sure he was safe,” *Oberlton said. “I got love for you bro.”
The Philadelphia native admitted the moment affected him deeply. “I’ve never seen nothing like that before in my life in the sport of boxing,” Oberlton said. “As a fighter you want to leave the same way you came in.” George, a Houston native, will now undergo further medical evaluation as we await updates on his condition.
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