Fortune hospitalised before Huni fight
Murray Wenzel |
World-renowned boxing trainer Justin Fortune has revealed he spent two nights in a Brisbane hospital with heart issues before discharging himself to attend Justis Huni’s latest fight.
The Los Angeles-based Australian, who spent two decades in Manny Pacquiao’s corner, came straight from hospital on Friday to watch his charge fight Kiki Leutele at Nissan Arena.
Fortune told AAP he had checked into hospital on Wednesday when his heart rate would not dip below 180 beats per minute.
The former heavyweight boxer recently had a cardiac ablation to stop abnormal electrical signals in the heart.
He did not tell his doctor he was flying to Australia to watch Huni, who he had hosted for an intense training block ahead of the Queenslander’s seventh professional fight.
“I called my doctor back home (on Wednesday) and he said ‘call 911’,” Fortune told AAP from Huni’s dressing room before the fight.
“I’m feeling like s***, got this cough I can’t shake until I get the heart redone, but that’s how it is.
“I had tests, there’s no blood clots so I just told them (the hospital staff) I had to get to the fights.
“I flew 15 hours to be here, was in camp for weeks (in Los Angeles), no way was I f***ing missing it.
“I had to be here, in the ring, after our first real camp. Everything I see here now can have 10 times the impact (to improve Huni) in training.”
Fortune said he had not told Huni of his health issues but the boxer told AAP he was aware and in awe of his commitment to the world title hopeful.
Huni is 6-0 since the former amateur world championship bronze medallist turned professional.
Fortune rates his speed and skill as highly as any heavyweight in the world and has been working to transform the 23-year-old into a more powerful presence in the ring.
AAP
