Sunday 27 March 2016 15:49, UK
Chris Eubank Jr stopped Nick Blackwell in the 10th round to win the British middleweight title at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.
Eubank Jr produced a dominant display and came close to forcing a stoppage on a number of occasions before referee Victor Loughlin waved the fight off after seeking advice from the ringside doctor on the swelling to Blackwell's left eye.
Blackwell was later taken to hospital after being carried away from the ring on a stretcher while receiving oxygen and, as of Sunday, was in an induced coma.
Eubank Jr, in the ring for the first time since his seventh round stoppage victory over Gary 'Spike' O'Sullivan in December, controlled the opening rounds of the bout and left Blackwell with a bloody nose at the end of the third after landing with a number of right uppercuts.
The 26-year-old continued to pile on the pressure and landed with a ferocious combination at the beginning of the fourth round, pinning Blackwell back onto the ropes and unloading crisp, firm punches.
Blackwell, defending the title he won back in May 2015, continued to struggle with the accuracy of Eubank Jr's punches and was left reeling at the beginning of the fifth after being caught by two further right uppercuts.
However, Eubank Jr was nearly made to rue a show of over-confidence after taking time out in the fifth round to goad rival and WBO world middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, who was sat at ringside alongside WBA and WBO world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Blackwell landed with a powerful right hook that pushed a distracted Eubank Jr back, but it failed to have any lasting effect as the Brighton-born fighter regained his composure and landed with two further uppercuts towards the end of the sixth.
Eubank Jr came close to forcing the stoppage at the beginning of the seventh and eighth, but Blackwell stood strong in the face of a barrage of punches.
However, Loughlin called time on the fight with 35 seconds left of the 10th round after consulting with the ringside doctor over the swelling to Blackwell's left eye, leaving Eubank Jr to celebrate the first British title win of his career.
