AMID the euphoria of another Manny Pacquiao fight, boxing fans are again reminded of the dangers of the sport and the risks that fighters take.

Z “The Dream” Gorres, the one-time challenger to then world champion Fernando Montiel, is now in a medically-induced coma and is in critical condition. He collapsed after his one-sided victory against Colombian fighter Luis Melendez yesterday at the House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Gorres dominated the fight but got knocked down in the last round.

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“Z suffered a brain hemorrhage due to trauma,” an emotional ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer told Sun.Star Cebu in an interview yesterday.

After he was declared the winner of the 10-round bout, the 27-year-old Gorres collapsed on his way out of the ring. He was brought out of the ring on a stretcher and was rushed to the University Medical Center Hospital in Las Vegas.

In the hospital, Gorres, who has a wife and is a father of four, underwent emergency brain surgery to drain the accumulated blood on the left side of his brain.

Boxingscene.com reported that Dr. Micheal Seiff “had to remove a part of Gorres’s skull to relieve the swelling of the brain. Gorres was placed in a medically-induced coma and is scheduled to have further tests over the weekend.”

Aldeguer said the next 24 hours—just about the time the Filipinos will be cheering for Pacquiao—will be crucial for Gorres.

“He is really in critical condition. We will be waiting for 24 hours to see how he will respond to the surgery. He is unconscious right now,” said Aldeguer.

The scorecards—98-90, 98-90, 97-91—showed that Gorres controlled the pace and dominated the whole fight.

Unfortunately, Gorres let his guard down in the final 15 seconds and was tagged by the heavy-handed Melendez, who also lost to Montiel, with a powerful left straight.

Gorres managed to beat the count and survive the round.

Aldeguer said it was that last punch that could have cost the brain trauma.

“It was his best or one of his best performances. His opponent was formidable and gave (Fernando) Montiel a good fight. It was mind-boggling because he really dominated the fight. He was playing his game and fought a really great fight,” said Aldeguer.

Aldeguer said Gorres was still able to talk to him after their bout.

“He was still okay after the fight. He even said sorry to me that he let his guard down. Upon going down the ring, he couldn’t lift his legs and then fell unconscious. We really need all the prayers from the Filipino people,” Aldeguer said.

Cebu City Councilor Jack Jakosalem said the Gorres bout serves as a reminder of the dangers of boxing.

“No matter how much we love boxing and are so excited to watch the Pacquiao fight, behind it now is the realization it is still one of the most dangerous sports today. And once too often, it takes its toll on some of our favorite and well-loved boxers, either while still active, or after their retirement. It’s sad and it’s a thought we don’t want to entertain, especially with the euphoria over Pacquiao. But it’s a possibility we’ll have to face in every fight,” Jakosalem said in a text message to Sun.Star Cebu.

Jakosalem said he was assured by GMA7, which owns the broadcast rights for the Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto fight, that they will give a special mention for prayers for Gorres before the telecast today.

Gorres improved to 31-2-2 with 17 knockouts, while Melendez fell to 26-4-1 with 21 knockouts.

Gorres was headed for a rematch with Fernando Montiel for the World Boxing Organization bantamweight strap next year in Top Rank’s “Pinoy Power 3” on Feb. 13.

However, all of that now hangs in the balance.

On the other hand, up-and-coming ALA fighter Mark Jason Melligen’s (16-2, 12 KOs) 10-fight winning streak ended after losing to Mexican Michel Rosales (25-3, 21 KO’s) via split decision, while Filipino journeyman Federico Catubay (25-16-3, 13 KO’s) was defeated by Juan Alberto Rosas (31-5, 25 KO’s) by unanimous decision in their International Boxing Federation super flyweight eliminator bout.