By Paul Lam: In the lead-up to his British middleweight title fight with Nick Blackwell, Chris Eubank Jr had shown scant regard for the abilities of the defending champion, predicting an easy night’s work and promising that he would stop the Trowbridge fighter inside the distance. He was proven right on both counts. In the tenth round, damage to Blackwell’s left eye came to the attention of referee Victor Loughlin who, after consulting with the ringside doctor, brought a halt to proceedings. However, the real damage had already been dealt over ten violent and one-sided rounds that became increasingly hard to watch as the fight progressed.
The Eubank Jr weapon of choice was a vicious guard-splitting uppercut that is quickly becoming his trademark, and he simply couldn’t miss with it. He landed it time and time again, busting up Blackwell’s face, breaking his nose and repeatedly rocking his head back.
Blackwell demonstrated bravery beyond belief and an incredible ability to soak up punishment but he was beaten and badly so. He landed some shots – only several of which ever seemed to get Eubank Jr’s attention throughout the whole contest – but took what seemed like hundreds in return.
Eubank Jr does not have tremendous one-punch-knockout power. The power he possesses is of the wear-you-down variety; breaking down his opponent through sheer accumulation of punishment. It is this type of prolonged beating which takes years off your life and can indeed end it, as has tragically been the case on a number of occasions in boxing history. After the savage seventh and eighth rounds in which Eubank Jr teed off on Blackwell with abandon, the fight could have been stopped by Blackwell’s corner headed by Gary Lockett. Lockett, a former world title challenger and now one of the most respected trainers in British boxing, has always demonstrated an acute sense of responsibility towards his fighters during their bouts. He was the man who threw in the towel to save Gavin Rees from himself against Adrien Broner and took the gloves off a disfigured and half-blind Enzo Maccarinelli against Juergen Braehmer. Neither took nearly as much punishment as Blackwell did last night. While he finished the fight on his feet, he paid a price for his bravery. Minutes after the fight ended, he collapsed in the ring and was carried out on a stretcher. He currently lies in hospital in an induced coma, having suffered a brain bleed; a direct consequence of the horrific pounding his skull took throughout the contest.
It was a deflating end to an enthralling domestic dust-up, in spite of its one-sided nature, between two men who entered the ring as polar opposites in almost every way. Eubank Jr was born into boxing royalty and a life of luxury courtesy of his father, the former WBO middleweight and super middleweight world champion. Eubank Sr groomed his son for success in the ring, sending him to the USA when he was sixteen years old to hone his skills in the amateur ranks. There he enjoyed access to top trainers and high-quality sparring that led him to successes such as reaching the National Golden Gloves tournament. If Eubank Jr is the archetypal boxing blue chipper, Blackwell is as blue collar as they get. The former bricklayer did not have an amateur career, fighting first on the British unlicensed boxing scene before turning professional at eighteen years of age. That his only losses prior to last night were against Martin Murray, Billy Joe Saunders and Max Bursak, all of whom have proved themselves at world level, is testament to how tough he was matched in his early career. Whereas Eubank Jr has attracted his fair share of detractors who routinely accuse him of arrogance and living off his father’s name, there are few more popular characters in British boxing than the amiable and laid-back Blackwell. He had previously sparred Eubank Jr and while he never got to know his opponent well enough to arouse any overly strong emotions at time, the disrespect he felt emanating from the Eubank Jr camp in the lead-up to the fight genuinely irked him and tensions between the two had reached a high by fight night.
Though they might not wish to admit it, it was perhaps such strong sentiments which influenced a number of Blackwell’s professional peers, including the aforementioned Saunders, to go on record and predict he would upset Eubank Jr. More objective observers saw however a fighter that was determined and durable, with good power and a great engine, but ultimately a limited boxer. Blackwell and his team were themselves under no illusions over Eubank’s technical superiority, which dictated the game plan they pursued. The fight developed in predictable fashion through the early rounds as Eubank was clearly winning by landing more shots, including those of the more eye-catching variety, but he appeared slightly uncomfortable with Blackwell’s constant pressure. It was clear that Blackwell was not going to outbox Eubank Jr; the question was whether he could out-tough him and take him into the deep waters, testing his reserves of stamina and character. By the middle rounds, we had our answer. Eubank Jr was showing no signs of fading whereas Blackwell, although still trying to press the action, was looking increasingly ineffectual in his offense. Knowing that he could not defeat Eubank Jr from a distance, he was forced to try and fight at close quarters, which left him a sitting duck for Eubank Jr’s heavy artillery including the vaunted uppercut. At the end of one of the middle rounds, he touched gloves with Eubank Jr, something which he had previously refused to so. It was a touching gesture of respect, but possibly also an admission of defeat. For the first time, a look for discouragement appeared on his face. He was starting to break down physically and mentally under the weight of punishment being inflicted.
The issue of when it is right to intervene and stop a contest is a difficult and contentious one in boxing. Visible bodily damage, the physical symptoms displayed by a fighter, their responsiveness and whether they appear to be in immediate danger are all potential red alerts for the corner or the referee, whether individually or collectively. Moreover, they must make a decision based not only on what has transpired up to that point but also on what can be reasonably foreseen and the consequences. A fighter’s chance of turning the tide needs to be weighed against the risk that he incurs more damage; something which cannot be changed. Blackwell, in spite of eating an avalanche of shots and having his facial features reconfigured, never seemed close to being taken off his feet and continued to press forward throughout the whole contest. In the fight’s immediate aftermath, he appeared conscious and alert. The significance of a contest – the title at stake; the sacrifices made; the opportunities it opens – may also be factored into the decision. It was hard at one point not to ignore Lockett’s desperate plea to Blackwell in the corner at one point reminding him that they had trained for this moment for a whole year. Consider additionally the heat of battle in which decisions must be taken and it becomes harder to criticise actions taken in good faith by those involved.
Victor Loughlin’s tenth round intervention may well have saved a man’s life. One can only regret that the fight was not stopped sooner, but hindsight is a wonderful thing for those of us glued to our TVs and computer screens. Chris Eubank Jr departed the arena as a deserving winner and new British middleweight champion. He demonstrated once again that he is a force to be reckoned with in the division and will continue his rise towards the top. One can be certain that he left too with new-found respect for the heart and courage of Nick Blackwell, whose own battle has just begun. Let us hope that he emerges triumphant in this one, while bearing in mind that the sport we follow is a bittersweet science; one that can be as brutal and unforgiving as it is enthralling and exciting.
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