Japanese boxer Jin Sasaki has reportedly lost memory of the past six weeks following a severe knockout defeat against Brian Norman Jr.
The bout took place in Tokyo on Thursday afternoon, where Sasaki challenged the American fighter for the WBO welterweight championship.
However, his attempt to capture the 147-pound title in what was considered the toughest challenge of his career ended with a devastating knockout in the fifth round.
Norman Jr landed a precise counter left hook directly on the 23-year-old`s jaw, sending him forcefully to the canvas.
Sasaki`s head hit the canvas hard. Medical personnel quickly attended to him after the referee conducted what appeared to be a futile count.
He remained motionless for a concerning period, over a minute, before being stretchered out of the venue and taken to the hospital for a series of neurological examinations.
Fortunately, scans revealed no severe brain injury, and he was discharged from the hospital later that day.
However, the knockout resulted in memory loss covering the previous few weeks, according to Issei Nakaya, the president of his gym.
Nakaya quoted Sasaki as saying, “I don`t even remember this title match being scheduled.”
A statement regarding Sasaki`s condition read: “Sasaki was transported to the hospital following the match and underwent a CT scan.”
The statement continued: “There were no injuries like bleeding. However, he hit the back of his head hard and is currently experiencing memory loss.”
It added: “While there were no visible physical injuries, we will continue to monitor him, and he will return to the hospital tomorrow for a follow-up checkup.”
The loss to Norman Jr marked only the second defeat in Sasaki`s career.
Meanwhile, Norman Jr maintains a perfect professional record of 28-0 and can now target unifying the division titles.
Oliver Croft