Badou Jack's friend woke up from a coma: "A miracle"

It was in December 2018 that after eleven rounds Adonis Stevenson was knocked out by the Ukrainian Oleksandr Hvozdyk in a lightweight title match in Quebec.

Immediately after the boxing fight, the Haiti-born Canadian, who had previously been a World Cup belt holder since 2013, was rushed to hospital with serious brain injuries. Once there, he operated and was put in a coma.

The following time, Stevenson's condition was very critical and it was doubtful if he would ever wake up again.

The boxing world held its breath - not least Badou Jack, who had just six months earlier played an undefeated match against Stevenson in a feud about the WBC belt.

He feared the worst.

- Everyone told me he probably won't survive. I talked to his wife and the doctors had said it was just as good to "pull the plug", Jack says and continues:

- But she did not listen to it and now he has managed to come back. Sometimes the doctors do not agree. He is a real coward and now he is back.

Yes, three weeks after the Quebec feud, Stevenson woke up from the coma and has since undergone lengthy rehabilitation to return to a normal life.

The boxing career is of course over - but at the beginning of last week, the 42-year-old was on site at a WBC gala in Cancun, Mexico. There he received tributes for his successful career which included 29 wins, two losses and one draw, the one against Badou Jack.

The 35-year-old boxer from Stockholm gave a speech before calling Stevenson on stage.

- It was fun to meet him. It was the first time we met since we met and then he ended up in a coma. We were hugging, having fun, having dinner and having fun with each other, says Jack.

- It was one of the big reasons why I went there. He is almost completely restored. It is a miracle. Most people end up in a coma, they are never recovered. They sit in a wheelchair and can't talk, nothing. But he's back and laughing. He is not fully recovered but almost, I would say he is back to 75 percent.

TT: How close are you to each other?

- Boxing for people together. You are opponents in the ring but then you are brothers. We have become tight since the accident and our tough match.

For Adonis Stevenson it ended well. However, the same can not be said about a number of other active in the sport lately.

Since July this year, no less than four boxers have been reported to have died as a result of injuries they received in the ring: Maksim Dadashev, Russia, Hugo Alfredo Santillan, Argentina, Boris Stanchov, Bulgaria and most recently Patrick Day, USA. The latter died just over two weeks ago.

TT: Has this made you look at the boxing with other eyes?

- Yes, the boxing has lost four chicks in just the last four months. That didn't work out. It's a tough sport. We risk life every time we enter the ring. Anything can happen, so it has to be smart and do their best, says Badou Jack.