EX-BOXER MICHAEL WATSON BLAMES It’s more of a miracle I survived carjacking than the Eubank fight
HERO boxing champ Michael Watson today reveals how the night he was carjacked was worse than his near-death fight with Chris Eubank.
Michael, who suffered a devastating brain injury in the Eubank scrap, had ammonia sprayed in his face and was dragged for over a quarter of a mile when thugs tried to steal his carer’s car.
In his first interview since his attackers were found guilty this week, the former Commonwealth middleweight champ said: “It’s more of a miracle I survived this carjacking than the fact I survived the Chris Eubank fight.
“Without a doubt, it’s unbelievable I’m still here.”
And Michael, 53, blames “broken Britain” for the evil attack on him and his carer. He said: “The police have been brilliant but the criminal justice system is failing.
“They need a harsh penalty. You hear on the news that there are youths beating up elderly people and they’re not even serving prison sentences. It’s wrong.”
He added: “I’ve been critically ill and had six operations on my head and been through so much trauma. I shouldn’t be here.
“But coming back from this attack has been my hardest fight – tougher than all of my world title fights put together.
“How much more can one person go through in life? It’s a miracle I’m still here.” Michael is still remembered by 13 million TV viewers for the night 27 years ago when he suffered a brain injury in a fight with Eubank for the WBO world supermiddleweight title.
He survived after six operations but was dealt a new horror in February last year when thugs tried to steal his carer Lenny Ballack’s VW Golf near his home in Chingford, East London.
Lenny was at the wheel and Michael in the passenger seat when a white Mercedes deliberately bumped them from behind.
Lenny, 56, stopped to inspect the damage and was doused in ammonia and hit with a metal bar. As he blindly swung punches and writhed in agony, Michael tried to escape. But his arm caught in the seatbelt and he was dragged for 500 yards along the ground as the attacker drove off in the Golf but then abandoned it. Speaking to the Sunday People, Michael said: “Someone got in the car and they just looked at me and smiled. Then they sprayed ammonia in my face and it hit my cheek. “It just started burning, eating away at the flesh. I knew I had to get out of the car so I jumped for it. “But my arm was stuck in the seatbelt and I was awake when I was being dragged along the floor. I thought I was in a nightmare. I asked myself, ‘Is this really happening?’
“But I stayed calm because I know I’m on this earth for a reason and I knew I had to keep the faith.
“The adrenaline was pumping so at first I didn’t feel the pain, but all I could think about was survival.
“I was in survival mode.”
Lenny, who has looked after Michael for over 25 years, revealed he has been racked with the guilt since the attack.
He said: “It was this feeling that I couldn’t stop these men from dragging my best friend down the road. There was nothing I could do and I felt so guilty. They sprayed ammonia in my eyes and it was burning through my flesh. It was agony and I just kept swinging punches even though I couldn’t see. “They they hit me on the back of the head with a metal bar. “I felt like I was failing because my job is to look after Michael and there’s nothing I could do. “I’ve been seeing a psychologist ever since it happened.” On Thursday Simon Luck, 28, and Paul Samuels, 31, were found guilty of robbing Michael and attacking Lenny with ammonia. They were also found guilty at Snaresbrook crown court of another
The criminal justice system is failing – they need harsh penalty