Boxer Karol Itauma Turns Health Crisis into Fitness Club Venture After Heart Attack

Karol Itauma, once a promising light-heavyweight prospect under Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions, suffered a sudden heart attack while on a seven-day water fast in summer 2024, with blood tests showing a troponin level of 50,000. He was transferred to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, where physicians immediately prohibited him from boxing, later reiterating the warning after a short comeback fight. Facing the prospect of an implanted defibrillator, Karol has turned to alternative therapies and is developing Club Eight Three in Medway, Kent, a private club that provides on-site nursing, blood testing, IV drips and cryotherapy.

The venture aims to bring elite-athlete recovery methods to the public and may expand across Europe. His brother Moses, training in Harlow, is set to fight for a heavyweight world title at the O2 Arena on 29 August 2026, with Karol praising his sibling's talent. The story highlights the personal impact of sudden cardiac events on athletes and their search for new purpose.