Villalta, 35, remains unconscious in hospital
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. -- Lightweight Louis Villalta collapsed in his dressing room Saturday night, minutes after losing a 12-round fight to Ricky Quiles.
Villalta, 35, was immediately transferred to nearby North Broward Regional Medical Center, where he remained unconscious early Sunday morning.
"When he got out of the ring, he was fine. There was no staggering," said Villalta's trainer, Charles Johnson. "When we got back to the dressing room, he was fine. The only thing he said was his head was hurting him."
The 135-pound Villalta (29-6-1) lost his regional lightweight title by unanimous decision.
Villalta dominated the fight early, knocking Quiles down in the first round. However, in the final two rounds, Quiles hit Villalta -- who was never knocked down -- with several combinations to the head.
A native of Peru, Villalta now lives in Hillsborough, N.J.
Villalta collapsed just before the night's heavyweight match featuring Ray Mercer, the 1988 Olympic gold medalist, and Steve Pannell.
That bout was suspended for 30 minutes after the first round while emergency personnel and ringside physicians tended to Villalta.
Following the delay, Mercer (33-5-1) won by stopping Pannell in the third round. Mercer used a straight left to send Pannell (33-8) into the ropes before dropping him with another right to the head.
Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press
