Samuel Arnold III was set to face Mohamed Zawadi in a light heavyweight bout in London, Ontario, Canada, over the weekend – but the fight didn’t go as planned. 

Arnold took to Instagram from a hospital bed, sharing details of an unexpected health scare that forced him out of the ring.

“Well, basically, what happened was, I was on the airplane, I had some medical complications, and they had to rush me to the hospital here in New York,” Arnold said, medical monitors visible around him. 

At 10-0 (6 KOs), the 21-year-old boxer from Dallas, Texas Arnold had been training for months to take on Zawadi, 9-1 (8 KOs), a Canadian prospect promoted by Lee Baxter. The matchup was set to be Arnold’s second fight of the year, and his second at light heavyweight.

“I have no reason to train a full training camp and pull out of a fight because I’m scared,” Arnold said, addressing doubts circulating among fans. “I try to be a respectful boxer and respect all boxers, especially my opponents. But you know, the guy who I’m fighting, his fans are really playing on my character.”

Arnold explained his situation a bit more. “I had an irregular EKG and what you call a ‘STEMI,’ which is almost like someone having a heart attack,” Arnold said. “That’s super unusual for someone in good shape, my age, so they didn’t clear me to fight.”

For now, Arnold’s focus is on his recovery. But he made it clear that any suggestion of fear or lack of readiness was far from the truth. “I just wanted to clear a few things up,” Arnold said, ensuring fans understood the gravity of the situation.