According to the news this morning, he is still unable to walk and is at least a year away from making a recovery. Apparently there is a hearing today with his sparring partner and trainer, over who and why the spar was authorised. Personally i think blackwell was very selfish by participating in the spar, especially at the time of poor Mike Towell. He was given a second chance in life and abused it.
He's made a stupid mistake and paid a heavy price for it. I hold no ill will or negativity to him. I feel sad that he's throw the second chance he had after the first injury away so easily though and hope he recovers well.
Yeah I have no sympathy for him. I feel for him because he has been robbed of his passion in life but he willingly gave his health away after being given the second chance that Mike Towell never had. He's also put his family through the same ordeal again.
It won't just be his ability to walk that's been affected. Eventually he'll be able to do that again, thankfully. It's his cognitive functions that will be permanently damaged. He'll need a support worker and an occupational therapist without a doubt. Tragic. Poor lad.
I hope the trainer loses his licence, what kind of moron would have allowed that spar? As for the sparring partner, if that was me and I knew the history I wouldn't haven't sparred Blackwell, no way.
The British Boxing Board has given their verdict and coach Lee Wilkins loses license permanently and boxer Hasan Karkadi suspended for 6 months . They got off lightly , they are modern day Panama Lewis and Luis Resto. I know Nick was a willing participate but they are both sadists and deserved to go to jail.
Good post. Maybe a more equal punishment for both might have been fairer though....the boxer got off too lightly IMO.
I agree we have no idea what actually happened. Wilkins is a very young trainer, would be harsh if he was permanently removed from the sport. Maybe a 5-10 year ban would be better. People can be easily swayed and if Blackwell had been begging to be allowed to spar or had indeed convinced them he was clear to be sparring then it would be harsh. We just don't know enough of the facts to judge this properly.
The trainer is only 21 years old making his way in the game - to him Nick Blackwells name/reputation would carry weight. If Nick pressured him/reassured him that he was okay/had clearance to spar it's easy to see IMO why he would have gone along with it
Also Nick was training with the pros in Locketts camp daily and still beating most the other guys . It's easy to make presumptions that he was okay It's not like he was wheeled out from hospital and battered he was 'fit' to the naked eye Life ban seems harsh but they must have wanted to make an example
Poor guy, I hadn't heard about this. I think the "no sympathy" thing is pushing it a bit far. He made a terrible mistake, but can anyone say they've never made an incredibly dumb or risky decision at some point in their lives?
Yup I also feel a little sorry for that trainer. Bad call, no doubt, and incredibly stupid. But a livelihood taken away? I could only understand that if it was decided Blackwell was not in some way in control of his faculties in deciding to spar.
Exactky Nick had full capacity But trainers should look out for fighters and their health as some have no regard for their own. An assumed duty of care
