Boxer Joseph George collapsed from his stool after the first round of his fight with Atif Oberlton. George had finished one round of his light-heavyweight encounter with Oberlton in Detroit, during which there was a clash of heads, before he fell from his stool while TV cameras cut away from the incident, with George lying on the floor, unconscious.

He received immediate attention from medical personnel and was ultimately able to get back on his feet before being escorted from the ring. George was transported to hospital and subsequently released. Oberlton, who was declared winner by technical knockout, said: “I’m so glad that he got up on his feet and that he’s OK.

“I’m a true champion, true warrior. We can do whatever you want to do it, but I’m just happy that he’s OK. I just wanted to make sure he was safe. At the end of the day, we’re warriors, but we want to leave here the same way we come out. He was like a bit confused and stuff like that so I can’t really tell.”

George has not yet addressed the incident, but Oberlton, who improved to 15-0 with the win, added: “I’m looking for all the smoke, man, all the fights. I want to give a big shout-out to Wynn Records, Wynn in the building. What’s up, baby?

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“We’re bringing hip hop culture to the sport. Shout out to Dmitriy Salita. Shout out to KP promotions, everybody that put this together. I’m right where I need to be. I know I’m a superstar and I’m in front of the world and I’m going to keep giving you all exactly what you all want.”

In Detroit’s headline bout, Claressa Shields successfully defended her undisputed heavyweight title with a dominant performance against Franchon Crews-Dezurn. The contest marked the continuation of a rivalry dating back to their amateur days, with Shields having previously defeated Crews-Dezurn in their professional debuts.

Afterwards, Shields said: “I felt like I had to take my time. Franchon hits hard and she’s tough. She was trying to cause an upset and got me with some shots.

“She’s a heavy-hitting diva and that’s one of the best fights I’ve been in my professional career, especially at 10 rounds. It was fun. I had to watch my ass every round. I think today I showcased my skills, my offence, my defence and body shots. I almost had her out in round seven, but she just wouldn’t go.”