Chris Eubank Jr. and Father Comment on Nick Blackwell Fight

Chris Eubank Sr. has said he cannot claim to have saved Nick Blackwell's life after he told his son, Chris Eubank Jr., not to target Blackwell's head during their fight on Saturday.  

Blackwell was rushed to the hospital and was subsequently put in a medically induced coma following the weekend encounter.

According to the Daily Mirror's Liam Prenderville, the Eubanks spoke in a press conference on Tuesday, and Eubank Sr. dismissed the notion he may have saved Blackwell's life:

"

No I would not say that. That’s a conclusion I can’t draw. This is what I do. I do it in the gym.

This is the rule for me. What happened on Saturday night was not the exception. It’s a rule for me. I’ve always been this way because I’ve been in there. I’ve tasted the bitter beatings.

"

Footage surfaced after the fight of Eubank Sr. instructing his son not to strike Blackwell's head any further for fear of hurting him, per TV producer Despa Robinson:

"

Chris Eubank Snr may have saved Nick Blackwell's life with these words.

Shows you how dangerous boxing can be.https://t.co/EaZl6v0jJa

— Despa Robinson (@DespaStayFresh) March 27, 2016"

Of his instructions to his son, he added: "Even in sparring, I tell Junior to stay away from the head because his punching is fast, powerful and dangerous. So most certainly I was saying this to protect the fighter. He had the fight won. This is a dangerous sport and we are real."

Eubank Jr. said he eased up on his opponent in the 10th round to avoid inflicting further damage on the 25-year-old, whose eye was severely swollen from the bout: "I’m glad the doctor stopped the fight because the referee wasn’t going to. I was playing. I’d won the fight, so I thought ‘let’s put on a little bit of a show because people are still watching.' I wasn’t throwing as many punches."

Per the Daily Mirror's Ben Rossington, he added:

According to Rossington, Eubank Jr. said the news of Blackwell's injuries upset him:

Per Prenderville, he added: 

"

When I heard the news, it was tough to hear. No fighter goes in there to cause that type of damage to an opponent. There’s nothing personal. 

Things may be said in the lead up to the fight, two men going in there, putting their pride on the line. 

It was upsetting and the first thing I had when I heard was to say on Twitter that he is a true warrior and to wish him a speedy recovery. You play rugby, football and cricket, but you don’t play boxing.

"

As he revealed, he 26-year-old tweeted his opponent after the fight to wish him a quick recovery:

Indeed, because of Blackwell's condition—he is still in the induced coma—the Eubanks have not celebrated the victory, as Eubank Sr. revealed: "This is in no way insensitive to the position of Nick Blackwell. No celebration by Team Eubank has happened and will not happen until Nick makes a full recovery, and I mean full recovery."

Per boxing writer Gareth A. Davies, Eubank Jnr. further explained his thinking during the bout:

Eubank Jnr. also stated his belief that boxers are well protected by the safety precautions currently in place, which were improved upon in the aftermath of his father's fight with Michael Watson in 1991, per Prenderville:

"

Everyone was professional and it was not like my dad’s fight with [Watson] when there were hold-ups and he didn’t arrive at hospital until hours after the fight.

I don’t believe there need to be any changes. All the fighters are looked after medically. It’s just up to the referee and their teams to be responsible with their fighters. That’s the thing and every referee has their own opinion.

"

Watson's career was ended and he was in a wheelchair for six years following the fight with Eubank Sr.

His father agreed with him: "The British Boxing Board of Control do an excellent job in protecting the fighters. Since [Watson], every fighter who has been in the position [Blackwell] has been in are now able-bodied people. They can walk, talk and live normally."

Blackwell is being treated at St. Mary's Hospital in London.