Heavyweight freezes in ring after huge body shot 'appears to break ribs'

DAILY STAR

An unbeaten heavyweight boxer froze suddenly after receiving a huge body shot which appeared to break his ribs.

Ukrainian powerhouse Viktor Faust looked set to win his 12th professional victory and was ahead on the judges’ scorecards going into the eighth round. However, a stunning body shot from Cuban brawler Lenier Pero stopped the bout suddenly with Faust unable to move.

Pero was defending himself inside the eighth round before catching his opposition off guard with one powerful body shot followed by a brutal head blow. Faust backed away and immediately looked down in trouble, Pero smelt blood and the Cuban continue a flurry of shots before the referee ended the bout.

After the fight Faust suggested that the rib injury had happened earlier in the fight before the final killer blow left him unable to move.

“After the sixth round I had pain in my ribs, but I decided to continue the fight,” he said before being taken to hospital for treatment.