'The situation is critical': Boxer sent to ICU with convulsions after match with Quebec fighter Marie-Pier Houle
Boxer Jeanette Zacarias Zapata was hospitalized Saturday night after being knocked out by Quebec's Marie-Pier Houle.
Yvon Michel, president of Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), the organizer of the event, said in a press briefing Sunday that the 18-year-old woman was placed in a medically-induced coma to sedate her and relax her body and brain.
He said the next two to five days will be critical.
Michel added that Zapata's boyfriend and trainer are here with her in Montreal, and they are in contact with her family back in Mexico up to 25 times per day.
Her family will be responsible for any critical decisions that need to be made in the upcoming hours and days.
When she was first brought to hospital, the prognosis was grim, said Michel. At first, it was thought that she would require surgery, but as her condition has improved, doctors no longer think it is necessary.
The boxer was transported to hospital following a major trauma sustained during the fight presented at the gala organized by GYM at the IGA Stadium.
The incident occurred at the end of the fourth round. Trapped in the corner with seconds left in the round, Zapata was hit with a series of power shots.
After a solid left uppercut, the Mexican looked stunned. A final right hook sent Zapata's mouthguard flying and she was unable to return to her corner after the bell rang.
Seized with convulsions while still standing, the midfielder was quickly reached by her trainer, who rushed to lay her down in the ring. The medical team on site quickly rushed to her side. She was placed on a stretcher and taken to the ambulance, which took her to the hospital.
It is not known if she was conscious at the time of her transfer to the hospital.
Late in the evening, Yvon Michel, president of GYM, had suggested that the news was not good.
"Her boyfriend, Jovanni Martinez (who boxed earlier Saturday), has been asked to go to the hospital," Michel said. "What I can say is that the situation is critical. The situation is serious.'
Houle, who was credited with a technical knockout victory, could not be to blame: referee Albert Paduano Jr. did not interfere and the bell signaling the end of the round had not sounded. After a brief celebration of her victory, she was a helpless witness to the whole post-fight scene.
"This is not the thing you want to see," she said after the fight. "I was definitely going for the knockout, but I would have preferred her to come out on her feet, not lying on a stretcher. We're keeping our fingers crossed that everything goes well."
Reached by The Canadian Press on Sunday, Houle, extremely shaken, preferred not to comment.
Minutes after the fight, as is the norm in such situations, the gloves and tape used to bandage Houle's hands were seized by the Régie des alcools des courses et des jeux (RACJ), "in order to exonerate Houle in this case," said a person familiar with the matter.
As with every combat sports event, the RACJ will evaluate all the fights on Saturday. The fight between Houle and Zacarias Zapata will be further investigated.
Match recaps
The Terrebonne fighter established her dominance in the ring as early as the first round, forcing Zapata to keep a distance.
That dominance carried into the second round, with Houle maintaining control of the ring, often confining Zapata to the ropes.
Earlier in the day, heavyweight Alexis Barrière (3-0, 3 K-O) brought down Angel Gabriel Barron (1-2, 1 K-O)
Confident jabs, efficient back hands, and strong hooks from Barrière could not be matched by Barron – who was brought to the mat in the first round by a left to the liver.
Barrière’s victory was called in the second after Barron made a second visit to the mat.
Strong beginnings
The evening was kicked off by the professional debut of light heavyweight Petar Gavrilovic (1-0), who turned to boxing for lack of opportunities in mixed martial arts.
The Mexican Ruben Mejia (1-6-1) provided solid opposition, but New Era fighter Gavrilovic won by unanimous decision. All three judges handed cards 39-37.
Samuel Lajoie (1-0, 1 K-O) also won his first professional fight.
After showing Patrick Lafleur (1-4-1, 1 K-O) the floor in the first round, the Saint-Hyacinthe welterweight returned in the second.
He trapped his opponent in the red corner before pounding him with blows, prompting the referee to intervene 1:07 mark.
-- This report was first published by The Canadian Press in French on Aug. 29, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.