Last night at Wembley, in a fight the followed – after a considerable delay – the Chris Eubank Junior-Nick Blackwell battle that sadly saw Blackwell taken to hospital where he remains under observation with a brain bleed – unbeaten heavyweight Hughie Fury won a dull but wide ten-round UD over a faded Dominick Guinn.
Winning every round, the cousin of the world heavyweight champion won by the sole score of 100-90 as turned in by the referee. Now 19-0(10) 21-year-old Fury failed to become the first man to stop Guinn, now 35-11-1(24), but it’s understandable how neither heavyweight was inspired to fight with real venom due to what happened with the incredibly brave Blackwell. The whole arena was quieted due to what happened and most people had gone home by the time Fury and Guinn boxed. The ring-card girls had gone home too, leaving none other than heavyweight ruler Fury to step in and cover their duties!
The fight was dull, with late replacement foe Guinn, aged 40, offering next to no offence as he survived to the final bell. But again, no-one will be too hard on Fury for not looking great. It would have been understandable if the fight had not happened at all under the circumstances. Boxers from all over the UK have been sending messages of support to Blackwell, most of them via Twitter. Reportedly in an induced coma, the former British middleweight champion is now fighting for his life.
Should last night’s main event have been stopped much earlier than it was? It’s a tough job being a referee and, indeed, a corner-man/trainer. Blackwell is well known for his toughness and he and his trainer Gary Lockett knew the early rounds of the Eubank fight would be rough, with the game-plan being to get through the onslaught and take Eubank’s heart in the later rounds when he grew fatigued.
That is always a real gamble as far as tactics go, but knowing Blackwell’s toughness and courage, it is understandable the fight was allowed to go on as far as it did, into the 10th. Everyone is wishing the popular Blackwell a full recovery.
