The 25 year-old suffered a small bleed on his brain following a brutal loss to Chris Eubank Jr on March 26, and after a week of the boxing community holding their breath, Blackwell was eventually woken from his comatose state on Saturday.
Several pictures have since been posted by visitors to Blackwell’s hospital bedside in the days since, but it was one from his coach Gary Lockett that was the most poignant to be taken.
Lockett watched in horror as Blackwell was taken stricken from the ring after falling short of their tactical plot to take Eubank Jr into the later rounds. As the Welsh trainer urged Blackwell on through rounds eight and nine, Lockett was unaware of the damage that had already been done.
Blackwell was firing back and catching Eubank himself, so that bravery ultimately meant the situation got worse until doctors rushed to help the collapsed Trowbridge man after the tenth round stoppage.
Former world champion Enzo Maccarinelli is among those who have come out in defence of Lockett, who along with referee Victor Loughlin, cannot be the focus of any anger or finger-pointing.
Thankfully, Blackwell is looking much better in his fight to regain normality as the sport awaits an official update from the family on his long-term prognosis.
