Superman remains in his medically induced coma, however.
We are not out of the woods yet in the tragic case of longtime top light heavyweight Adonis Stevenson, but we have taken the first step towards good news. The 41 year old had his near six year reign as the WBC light heavyweight titlist ended by knockout in the eleventh round at the capable hands of Ukrainian Olympic medalist Oleksandr Gvozdyk Saturday night. Unfortunately despite almost turning the tables one round before by staggering Gvozdyk, “Superman” Stevenson’s health rapidly deteriorated after the fight.
It has been reported that Adonis had some difficulty getting back to his dressing room and it was clear that he was a little more woozy after the finish than normal. New details of his ordeal have since emerged too. Apparently once in the locker room, Stevenson was in good enough health to be cleared by the doctor and discuss the loss with his promoter Yvon Michel. He then decided to shower and did so, but after Adonis became quite dizzy. The doctor was called back and the decision was quickly made to bring Superman to the hospital by ambulance. Scarily, the French-Canadian star lost consciousness en route.
There Adonis was diagnosed with a cerebral hemorrhage and underwent surgery to help reduce the issue. He was afterward placed in a medically induced coma to allow time for swelling to go down. Stevenson spent the night in the intensive care unit in critical condition. This has been the nightmare scenario of the sport every step of the way.
A glimmer of hope emerged today at least when doctors elevated his status to stable. While Adonis Stevenson is by no means out of the woods in terms of any potential lasting brain damage and remains in the coma, this does mean that doctors are no longer worried about imminent death. All there is to do now is to wait for the swelling to subside so the medical staff can gently wake Adonis from the coma and begin the rehabilitation process. There is no way of knowing the long term cognitive consequences for Superman Stevenson ahead of time.
Here is to hoping for the best. The likes of Erik Skoglund and Nick Blackwell have made close to full recoveries after suffering the same fate. Others haven’t, but it seems like Adonis has thankfully received prompt and excellent medical care in a world class facility. There is reason to be hopeful, though we also must brace for other possibilities.
All hopes and thoughts go out to Adonis Stevenson and those who love him personally.
