By Per Ake Persson
Eduard Gutknecht, who was seriously injured in the fight against George Groves in November, will never make a full recovery, writes German website boxenplus.de.
Julia Gutknecht, Eddie´s wife and the mother of their three children, indicates that the message from the doctors is that the damage to the brain is severe and that it's a miracle that Eddie even survived.
The former fighter is now in a wheelchair, in need of constant care and so far he is unable to speak. There is hope for improvements but not for a full recovery. He is still hospitalized and in rehabilitation.
In the fight with Groves, he lost a twelve round unanimous decision although many felt the referee should have stopped the contest in the earlier rounds. Gutknecht collapsed in the dressing room following the bout and was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery for swelling to the brain.
Gutknecht turned pro with Spotlight Boxing back in 2006 and got his big break in 2009 when he beat Karoly Balzsay. When Spotlight / Universum folded, Eddie was signed up by Sauerland Event and fought some big fights.
In 2014 Sauerland and Gutknecht parted ways and he retired but came back later that year and signed with Wiking Boxteam in 2015 and then fought then WBA light heavyweight champ Juergen Braehmer and later Groves in what was his final fight.
There was a benefit show in December in Bielefeld staged by Wiking Boxteam, but apparently there is a big need for more help and the Gutknecht family and Wiking have since parted ways