Australian Boxing Icon in Recovery After Being Under the Knife for 6 Hours

Awful news took the boxing world by surprise earlier this week when Australian boxing legend Jeff Fenech was rushed to a Sydney hospital on Thursday. The ‘Marrickville Mauler’ was hospitalized because of a leaking infected heart valve along with a swollen wrist and a body temperature of 40॰C. Doctors were concerned as he might have needed emergency surgery. However, a report from Ben Damon today suggests everything is ok.

The 59-year-old retired boxer started his career back in 1984 and went on to win 25 fights back to back, suffering his first career loss at the hands of Azumah Nelson in 1992. Interestingly, Fenech ended his career with the final fight against Nelson in their epic trilogy, winning it via majority decision in 2008. Meanwhile, the update on social media about Fenech’s recovery from a six-hour-long surgery put all his fans at ease. 

The second heart surgery for Jeff Fenech ended with a happy surgeon

Turning to X (formerly Twitter), Australian journalist, TV presenter, and screenwriter/director Ben Damon revealed the “Great news!” He wrote, “The legendary Jeff Fenech has had successful open heart surgery to replace a leaking infected heart valve and is now recovering in hospital.” It’s also worth mentioning that this isn’t the first time Fenech has gone under the knife because of his heart condition.

Back in 2019, Fenech had a serious heart surgery in Thailand to replace an infected heart valve. He seemingly had recovered from that surgery seamlessly. However, doctors have checked the nearby valves for infection in Fenech’s recent stint. So, Damon wrote, “The surgeon is happy with how the six-hour operation went.” Moreover, the four-time world champion has released a statement post-hospitalization.

Australian boxing legend claims, “I’m as sick as a dog”

After being hospitalized earlier this week, Fenech spoke to CODE Sports about his condition. “I feel s**t house. I’m as sick as a dog, a mystery infection… they think it has something to do with my heart and valves,” said Fenech. He even spoke about his suffering leading up to the hospitalization. 

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“I’ve had a high temperature for more than 12 days now. It was 39.8,” said Fenech. He later claimed, “If you see my wrist, you’d die. It’s massive. It’s red, inflamed, swollen, and sore. It could be an infection coming from the valves – which has spread through my body. They don’t know yet.”

Despite seeming like the worst has happened, the recent update about Jeff Fenech has given his fans all over the globe a sigh of relief. In the meantime, we are awaiting further updates on Fenech’s recovery. We would like to hear your thoughts on Fenech’s surgery. Let us know in the comments below!

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