Blackwell’s swollen eye saved boxer’s life—Oliver
The swelling over Nick Blackwell’s eye that ended his fight with Chris Eubank Jr may have saved his life, according to former boxer Spencer Oliver.
Blackwell is in an induced coma after a small bleed on his brain was found.
Ex-super-bantamweight Oliver suffered life-threatening head injuries in a European title fight in 1998, aged 22.
“The swollen eye effectively brought the doctor in and the doctor stopped the fight. That probably saved his life,” Oliver told reporters.
“In round seven, Eubank had a big round and that is when maybe the referee could have jumped in and stopped the fight.
“But there was never any time that Blackwell looked in any serious trouble so the referee let it go on until the swollen eye.”
Referee Victor Loughlin stopped Saturday’s fight in round 10 on the advice of the ringside doctor.
The British Board of Boxing Control said it was satisfied with how Saturday’s bout was handled, after suggestions from Eubank Jr’s camp and some pundits that the fight should have been stopped sooner.
