MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The Dominican boxer who was hospitalized after a brutal knockout on the undercard to the Anthony Joshua-Oleksandr Usyk fight was in a “good condition,” his boxing manager said on Monday.
Lenin Castillo’s legs appeared to spasm after he hit the canvas following a big punch by British opponent Callum Smith in the second round of their light-heavyweight fight at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. Castillo was carried out of the ring on a stretcher and taken to a hospital in London.
Event promoter Eddie Hearn alleviated some initial concern by saying an hour after the incident that the 33-year-old Castillo was “responsive.”
Castillo’s manager, Raul Pastrana, has told The Associated Press that Castillo has been released from the hospital.
“He is (in) good condition!!!” Pastrana said in a text message on Monday. “He was released 3 hours after the KO. They completed a (scan) and everything was OK.”
Pastrana said Castillo was still in London.
The knockout happened in the second round of the fight and referee Bob Williams called off the fight as soon as he saw Castillo on the canvas. Smith jumped on the ropes in celebration but quickly stopped in concern for his opponent.
“I apologized to his camp for celebrating," Smith said on Saturday. "I hadn’t realized the extent and that he was unresponsive. I hate when fighters celebrate when their opponent is in a bad way so I apologized.
“If it was one of my brothers lying there and an opponent celebrated, I wouldn’t have liked it. It’s sport at the end of the day — there’s more to life than boxing."
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