Boxer Passes Out on the Stool in Corner on Shields vs Crews-Dezurn Undercard

Fans are praying for Houston-based boxer Joseph George after one of the scariest on-camera moments in recent boxing history.

George, 36, fought undefeated 27-year-old Atif Oberlton in the final non-title fight of the Claressa Shields vs. Franchon Crews-Dezurn 2 undercard on Sunday night. After a competitive first round, George walked back to his corner and sat on the stool, communicated with his coaches and drank the water given to him before falling limp off the stool and stiffening onto the canvas.

WOW 😱

Keep Joseph George in Your Prayers 🙏🤲

pic.twitter.com/fVTOJHMNpt
— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) February 23, 2026

The scary moment stunned everyone involved, so much so that his corner had no idea what to do. George remained motionless on the ground for several minutes before finally awakening, being brought to his feet and taken out of the Little Caesars Arena on a stretcher.

Without any consequential blows landing in the first round, nobody had a clue what could have forced George's body to shut down. Replays showed that a clash of heads midway through the round, as both boxers ducked, caused him to slip and potentially have a delayed reaction.

Frightening scenes in Detroit. Light heavyweight Joseph George suffered a head clash in the first round and then collapsed during the break between rounds. 😱

#ShieldsCrewsDezurn2 pic.twitter.com/qH3AMEoDgw
— Permante (@PermantexG) February 23, 2026

Joseph George in stable condition after scary TKO loss

Although updates on George have been scarce, the 13-2 boxer appears to be recovering well in the hospital.

Before the night ended, promoter Dmitry Salita announced that George was in stable condition at the hospital, David Greisman of Boxing Scene reported. No further updates have been released, and he appears to still be under evaluation.

While George was booked on the card in a fight made to feature Oberlton, he was meant to be the 27-year-old's first significant veteran test. The scheduled 10-round bout was the first of its nature for Oberlton, who had only competed in small-scale arenas before Sunday night.

The win moves Oberlton to 15-0, albeit not in the way he imagined. George subsequently suffered his second loss in his last three fights after beginning his career at 12-0.

George entered the matchup off a third-round TKO win over Robert Burwell in March 2025. That victory ended a two-year layoff after his previous fight, which saw him suffer the first loss of his career to Raiko Santana.

George has been boxing since March 2016, when he made his professional debut with a first-round knockout win over Ramiro Garcia. He also operates a clothing company, Be Phenomenal Clothing, and a moving company, Be Phenomenal Movers, while attempting to get a rap career off the ground.

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