According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, injured Heavyweight Magomed Abdusalamov is expected to survive after being placed in a coma following his loss to Mike Perez on November 2nd in New York.
“A week ago, the doctors thought he was not going to make it, that he would not survive. They said they were 100 percent sure he would not make it,” said Nathan Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing. “Now they think it has turned around. They say he is going to make it now. They have seen progress with his motor skills from the tests they have been doing.
“The words out of their mouth after the surgery were, ‘We don’t think he’s going to make it.’ They said that to the family. Now, based on how he’s progressed in these different tests, they changed their view. From what the doctor is saying the brain swelling has subsided.”
“They think they will try to wake him up in two or three days and see how he reacts,” Lewkowicz said. “We don’t know if his speech will be slurred or if he will be blind, which are major possibilities. The stroke could hinder some of his motor skills. He might not be able to speak well. He might be blind. The best we hope for is that he can lead a normal life.”
“They did a test by pinching his arm and he was smacking the doctor’s hand away, showing his motor skills are coming back. They weren’t expecting that,” Lewkowicz said. “It’s amazing progress. It’s good news. He’s still young, only 32, and was in good health before what happened. So that is very helpful.”
