LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) – British boxer Nick Blackwell has been placed in an induced coma after losing a domestic title fight.

Saturday’s British middleweight belt contest at London’s Wembley Arena saw Blackwell stopped in the tenth round by Chris Eubank Jr after the ringside doctor ruled a closed left eye meant he could not continue.

It was not the first time a member of the Eubank family had been involved in a contest that ended with a boxer being taken to hospital.

Michael Watson sustained life-threatening brain injuries after being stopped by Chris Eubank senior after 11 rounds of their 1991 World Boxing Organisation super-middleweight title bout at Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane ground in north London.

Watson survived but as there was no ambulance and no doctor at the fight, it was several minutes before he received any treatment.

His case sparked major changes in the provision of ringside medical cover which were all in force at Wembley on Saturday.

The 25-year-old Blackwell was carried out of the ring on a stretcher and was still in hospital, under observation, on Sunday. 

British Boxing Board of Control general secretary Robert Smith said: “I spoke to one of the doctors this (Sunday) morning and he said there is a bleeding of the brain.

“He’s in intensive care, he’s in an induced coma and he is resting and being looked after by the experts.

“It’s a very normal procedure. They put you in a coma to get the swelling to go down. There’s no time-scale. Now it’s just a matter of waiting and seeing.”

World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury tweeted his best wishes to Blackwell on Saturday: “Will u all pray for @nickblackwell02 please ASAP as he has been taken to hospital, God be with him.”