Nick Blackwell: Former middleweight champion's brother retires from boxing

Dan Blackwell feared for his sibling's life after last month's title defeat to Chris Eubank Jr

Dan Blackwell, right, during his 2013 bout against Anthony Ogogo (Getty)

The younger brother of former British middleweight champion Nick Blackwell has retired from boxing after his sibling’s hospitalisation.

Dan Blackwell, a 23-year-old middleweight with 61 bouts to his name, feared for his brother’s life when he collapsed at the end of his defeat to Chris Eubank Jr last month.

Nick, two years Dan’s senior, was in a medically induced coma for ten days after suffering a bleed on the skull and, having woken up , subsequently retired from the sport.

The experience, however, had a profound effect on Dan, who made the decision to end his own boxing career having seen the damage inflicted to his brother.

"I thought my brother was dead: just that thought," Blackwell, a full-time bricklayer, told Press Association Sport.

"It wasn't me worried about myself, it was me thinking 'God, if I was ever in that position to put my own family through this...

"I've got a missus and two kids, at the time I was thinking 'I can't believe I've done this'.

"When it all happened, I was outside waiting at the hospital to see what was going on, we had doctors going in and out but not telling us.

"The worry of me thinking 'He could be dead'; it was how my family would be feeling. I wouldn't ever want to put them through that.

"I remember I sent a message to my girlfriend [Chantelle], I was a mess on the night, saying 'I'm sorry for what I put you through if you felt one per cent of what I'm feeling now. I'm never going to box again'.

"What I went through with Nick was horrible."

Dan, who has only been stopped once in his career despite a 7-54 record, decided to end his part-time career as fighter in a show of support to Nick and will now seek overtime in his day job as a bricklayer.

"My mum (Cindy) has never liked me and Nick boxing," he said. "[But] I've always done what Nick's done.

"I don't want to be still in boxing, fighting and all the rest of it, knowing he can't fight. With him, I don't think it's sunk in yet that he's not fighting anymore.

"I'm upset I'm not going to be boxing again. It was something I liked doing for the weekend: it was good fun hanging out with the lads who came out on the road with me.

"Not being able to do it again is horrible."

Additional reporting by PA