By Mark Vester
SEOUL - South Korean boxing champion Choi Yo-Sam (32-5, 19KOs) fell into a coma after he successfully defended his WBO intercontinental flyweight title on Christmas Day.
Ringside observers say Choi, 33, fell unconscious after challenger Heri Amol of Indonesia caught him with a series of hard punches, followed up by a hard right to his jaw, as Amol collapsed five seconds before the fight ended. Choi was able to get to his feet to win the fight by unanimous decision, but fell into a coma immediately afterwards. Choi was quickly rushed to the hospital and underwent brain surgery but is still in a coma.
"We never expected this to happen. As soon as Choi Yo-Sam recovers, the boxing committee will discuss safety measures," said an official of the Korean Boxing Commission, quoted by Yonhap.
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