BOXER WHO SUSTAINED BRAIN DAMAGE AFTER FIGHT NOW IN MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA ON LIFE SUPPORT

MAGOMED ABDUSALMOV

The heavyweight boxer who sustained brain damage in his fight at Madison Square Garden remains in a medically-induced coma and is on life support, his wife now at his side in the intensive care unit of Roosevelt Hospital.

The condition of Magomed Abdusalamov, or "Russian Tyson" as he is known for his crushing knockout power, has changed little in the past few days since he had a blood clot and part of his skull removed from his brain, following a decision loss to Mike Perez on Saturday on the undercard of Gennady Golovkin's eighth-round stoppage of Curtis Stevens, his promoter, Nathan Lewkowicz, told the Daily News Thursday morning.

Further complicating matters, Abdusalamov suffered a stroke despite having the blood clot removed after coming down with a fever early Monday morning, Lewkowicz said.

Along with standing vigil, Lewkowicz is now working to raise money to cover the cost of medical treatment, which Lewkowicz expects to run in the "$100,000s." While some of the costs will be paid for by the event promoter's health insurance, Lewkowicz says only a small fraction will be compensated for- a number he estimated at $50,000- because of a cap on the insurance.

To settle the rest of the eventual bill, Lewkowicz has enlisted the help of the boxing charity Ring 10, along with promoters Lou DiBella and Leon Margules to establish a fund. Lewkowicz said that Abdusalamov's condition has improved since the weekend when he was stricken with a 104-degree fever following surgery that led to Abdusalamov suffering a stroke. His condition has since calmed down, the swelling on his face subsided, and he remains in stable condition.

Still, it's a mystery as to what type of condition he will be when he finally awakens from the coma, and doctors have yet to give a timetable for when they expect him to wake up.
"He did suffer a stroke while he was in a coma," Lewkowicz said. "We have to see how he is when he wakes up, if he still has the same motor movement; either you're perfectly fine or you could suffer nerve damage. You don't know until you wake up."

Lewkowicz also plans on contacting the New York State Athletic Commission to see if the commission has a separate health insurance policy to protect fighters in case of medical emergency or if the commission can lend a hand.

According to the commission's Unconsolidated Laws (Section 8928-a1), promoters are responsible for the health insurance of the fighters on a given show: "Such insurance coverage shall provide for reimbursement to the licensed athlete for medical, surgical and hospital care, with a minimum limit of seven thousand five hundred dollars for injuries sustained [IN THE RING]…and for a payment of one hundred thousand dollars to the estate of any deceased athlete where such death is occasioned by injuries received in this state during [A MATCH]. The commission may from time to time, in its discretion, increase the amount of such minimum limits."

Donations can be made two ways, either through a contribution to a PayPal account set up for his family: 100bbb@mail.ru; or in his wife's name at: Bakanay Abdusalamova, PO BOX 90174 Brooklyn, NY 11209.