Surviving carjacking ‘tougher than title fights’

FORMER boxer Michael Watson has told how rebuilding his life after a violent carjacking has been tougher than all his world title fights “put together”.

The 53-year-old, pictured, who was partially disabled after suffering a near-fatal brain injury during a fight with Chris Eubank in 1991, was sprayed in the face with acid and dragged along the road as a gang of robbers tried to steal a car. After three men were found guilty of the attack this week, Mr Watson confessed it was a “miracle” that he was still alive.

In an interview with the Sunday People, he said: “It’s more of a miracle I survived this carjacking than the fact I survived the Chris Eubank fight.

“I’ve been critically ill and had six operations on my head and been through so much trauma... But coming back from this attack has been my hardest fight - tougher than all of my world title fights put together.”

The former world title challenger was a passenger in a Volkswagen Golf when it was shunted from behind and then commandeered by the assailants in Chingford, east London, in February 2017.

He was sprayed with acid then punched and kicked to the ground, before being dragged 500 yards along the road after becoming trapped by the seat belt and the car door as the suspects tried to make a getaway. They eventually abandoned the carjacking.

Career robbers Simon Luck, 29, Paul Samuels, 31, and Anselm Legemah, 23, were found guilty of conspiracy to rob and spraying corrosive fluid ammonia on Thursday following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

The Metropolitan Police said a similar attack was carried out on two teenagers in a white Audi, days before Mr Watson and Mr Ballack were injured.

The men will be sentenced on Friday.