The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Watson in plea for refereeing rethink
Former star believes Blackwell injury was preventable
Michael Watson believes that Nick Blackwell’s injury was avoidable and feels referees should pay close attention to a fighter’s eyes during a bout.
Blackwell collapsed shortly after his British middleweight title defeat to Chris Eubank Jr at Wembley Arena last week but woke on Saturday and was speaking to friends and family on Sunday.
The fight was stopped in the 10th round after the ringside doctor advised referee Victor Loughlin that Blackwell was unable to see through his left eye.
The 25-year-old was found to have suffered a bleed on the skull and spent the following week in an induced coma.
Chris Eubank Sr criticised the referee’s handling of his son’s fight, and Watson – who spent 40 days in an induced coma and had six operations to remove a blood clot from his brain after a 1991 bout against Eubank Sr – was also critical.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “I looked into his eyes and saw he was dazed.
“I was shouting for the referee to intervene.
“Referees should...look at a fighter and work out whether they’re hurt or not by looking through their eyes. The referee didn’t look into his eyes and intervene.”
The British Boxing Board of Control have defended Loughlin’s handling of the fight but Watson maintained: “If the fight had been stopped earlier I do truly believe all this could have been prevented.”
The former Commonwealth middleweight title holder added: “The unity of people around him will now be mentally beneficial to him. He will need his close friends and family to be around at this stage to support him and be his backbone – he needs the help of others around him to help him move on in life.”
Blackwell may not return to the ring, but Watson pointed to himself as an example of what can be achieved once a boxing career ends.
The 51-year-old said: “I’ve achieved a lot more in my life than when I was in the boxing system. I’ve met the Queen and so many icons.
“Since the accident I’ve walked marathons and raised half a million for teenagers with cancer.”