25-year-old Nick Blackwell is now in a coma after going ten rounds in a British middleweight title fight with Chris Eubank Jr.
Blackwell collapsed after the fight was put to a halt in the tenth round after the ringside doctor advised referee Victor Loughlin that the swollen eye of Blackwell should be checked out. Blackwell was placed in a medically induced coma shortly after, according to Bloody Elbow.
A video has been released of Eubank’s dad, cornerman and former world champion, Chris Sr. instructing his son to start hitting the body to avoid inflicting more head trauma to the former British champion.
“If the referee doesn’t stop it, then I don’t know what to tell you. If he doesn’t stop it and we keep beating him like this, one, he is getting hurt. Two, if it goes to a decision, why didn’t the referee stop the fight? I don’t get why,” Eubank Sr. told his son. “So maybe you shouldn’t leave it to the referee.”
“But you’re not gonna take him out to the face,” he continued. “You’re gonna take him out to the body. Ok?”
Speaking from experience, Chris Sr. has dealt with inflicting severe damage to his opponent. In a rematch with Michael Watson in 1991, Chris Sr. landed a devastating uppercut on Watson that sent him down collapsing into the ropes.
Watson later was put in medically induced coma for 40 days undergoing six surgeries to remove a blood clot from his brain.
Watson wrote in the Telegraph: “I went down memory lane in many senses. It was strange watching Chris in the corner with his son, and I have seen most of young Chris’ fights.
Both Chris Sr. and Chris Jr. have wished the best for Blackwell and a speedy recovery.
@nickblackwell02 You fought a great fight tonight. May your hospital stay be short. We are wishing you a complete and restful recovery.
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