It is quite unusual for a boxer to collapse during the corner breaks. To that end, not one of the high-profile boxing events has seen something of that sort in recent years. But unlike the usual happenings, 36-year-old boxer Joseph George was part of a moment last night that raised concerns.

The Claressa Shields vs. Franchon Crews-Dezurn fight event took place at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday. The undercard featured George facing Atif Oberlton in a light heavyweight contest. However, against everyone’s expectations, the 36-year-old collapsed during the corner break before the second round. And the immediate reactions from his coaching staff left boxing fans fuming.

Fans slam the corner’s delayed reaction

“The lack of concern from his corner is shocking,” a fan wrote. As such, they believed Joseph George’s team was not bothered about what just happened. Adding to that, another netizen expressed similar disappointment. “The scariest part isn’t the collapse. It’s the hesitation.”

A majority of the fans online were shocked to see the delayed response of George’s coaching staff. That said, other netizens also lashed out at them and even called for action. “When he wakes up, I hope he gives his team a piece of his mind,” a fan wrote. Meanwhile, another fan opined on the reason behind the collapse.

“Looks like the ice pack in the neck made him pass out,” the netizen wrote. The same user also wanted George not to work with that team anymore. “They need to be fired ASAP I don’t want people in my corner that don’t worry for my well-being,” the fan wrote.

Amid that, there were also a few who drew theories based on what they saw. “I first thought it was AI. How on earth could his team stand there looking at him as if he faked it? Wow,” one user commented. But there were also fans who took notice of how even the official reacted.

“Hope he’s alright. Also kinda crazy no one reacted urgently at all. Not even the official outside,” the fan wrote. That said, the delayed response could also have been due to seeing such a rare occurrence in front of them. But netizens surely felt that George’s corner could have at least shown urgency.

That said, it has been hours since the incident took place. And any disciplinary actions against George’s corner are yet to be made public. Amid that, it might also leave one to wonder about the 36-year-old’s current condition. As it seems, there is an update regarding that.

Reported update on Joseph George surfaces

As soon as Joseph George collapsed, although there was a delay in reaction, he was given immediate medical attention. Despite that, George’s condition seemingly didn’t improve, and he was ultimately helped out of the arena on a stretcher. Now hours later, boxing promoter Dmitry Salita has reportedly provided an update.

“Dmitry Salita says Joseph George is at the hospital and in stable condition,” wrote BoxingScene writer David Greisman, on X.

After undergoing such a concerning medical condition, George will surely look to rest before coming back to fight. Notably, in such “Loss of Consciousness” cases, guidelines from the Association of Ringside Physicians (ARP) state that a fighter must undergo medical suspension for at least 90 days.

Amid that, the official decisions are yet to be publicly announced regarding the matter. However, the result of this fight against Atif Oberlton went in Oberlton’s favor. After waving off the fight, he was declared the winner via TKO.

With that, George, who boasted a 13-1 record before the bout, suffered the second loss of his professional boxing career. Meanwhile, Oberlton extended his unblemished record to 15-0. Surely, a TKO loss in such a manner might have a detrimental effect on George’s career. But he would come back will ultimately define his career moving forward.