Boxer Lee Reeves is said to be in a “critical but stable condition” in hospital, after he was carried out of the ring on a stretcher on Saturday.
The Irish fighter, 31, was stopped by compatriot Gary Cully in the 10th and final round of their bout in Dublin, with Reeves hitting the canvas twice before the action was waved off.
Many fans felt that Reeves was ahead on the scorecards before the stoppage, especially with Cully having a point deducted in round five for repeatedly losing his mouthguard.
But Cully, 30, dropped Reeves early in the final round, moments before flooring his fellow southpaw again with a clean left cross. The punch instantly marked the end of the fight, with the referee checking on Reeves and receiving assistance in removing his mouthguard.
After further medical attention, Reeves was removed from the ring on a stretcher, before he was taken to hospital.
Later that night, Queensberry Promotions boss Frank Warren tweeted: “All our thoughts and prayers are with Lee Reeves and his family at this time as he remains in hospital.
“Everyone at Queensberry is thinking of him and we’re in constant contact with his team regarding his condition as we hope for positive news.”
A second statement from Queensberry, released on Sunday, told various media including the BBC: “Lee Reeves is still in hospital, in a critical but stable condition.
“We will know more in the coming days, and our thoughts and prayers remain with Lee and his family.”
In the immediate aftermath of the fight, Cully sent “prayers and thoughts” to Reeves and said: “Hopefully he’s okay. He came in there as a big underdog after fighting relatively at a lower level up until now, but he really showed that he can operate at a higher level. Huge credit to him.”
And on Sunday, Cully wrote on Instagram: “Feeling especially grateful to wake up with my family this morning and have a normal Sunday.
“I’ll throw up a post addressing the fight in the days to come but right now my thoughts are with Lee and his family just praying for his full recovery. Thank you to everybody who turned out and showed support as always.”
