Chris Eubank Jr calls Nick Blackwell's decision to box again 'absolute madness' as he wakes from coma

Blackwell is currently recovering in hospital after taking part in an unsanctioned sparring session

Nick Blackwell's eye injury during his fight with Chris Eubank Jnr (Rex)

Chris Eubank Jr has described Nick Blackwell's decision to risk sparring having had his career ended by a life-threatening head injury after their fight in March as “absolute madness”.

The 26-year-old Blackwell remains in hospital after requiring an emergency procedure to reduce brain swelling following an unsanctioned sparring session that took place last month. He awoke from a coma on Thursday night after having part of his skull removed in order to ease the pressure being applied to his brain.

He was forced to retire when being fortunate to recover from a bleed to the skull, discovered after he collapsed at the conclusion of March's stoppage defeat.

Eubank Jr was discouraged from visiting Blackwell in hospital, when the fighter's family were unhappy at the Eubanks for discussing the fight in a press conference while he remained in a coma.

The fallout between the two continued with Eubank Snr claiming he told his son to target Blackwell's body to protect him, and the latter describing their actions while he remained in a coma as “inhuman”.

Hasan Karkardi and Liam Wilkins, the fighter and trainer involved in the sparring session that injured Blackwell again, have since been suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control.

But Eubank Jr said of the episode: “It's just madness, absolute madness. I understand how strong a love can be for the sport because I have that love inside me. But there is a difference between loving your sport and being able to spend time with your family and enjoy life.

“That is what he risked when he had that sparring session. I can't understand that. He's done it, and it's a shame but hopefully he pulls through again and everything is fine and he can learn from his mistake.”

Eubank Jr for the first time steps up to super-middleweight to challenge IBO champion Renold Quinlan of Australia on February 4 when ITV launches its pay-per-view platform.

He has returned to the UK to prepare for his fight after a three-month sojourn in Dubai in which he spent time recovering from an elbow injury, but this time has no plans to visit Blackwell.

“The last time I tried to be there and I wanted to see him but everyone around him blocked it,” he said. “Then he came out of the coma and said the things he said about me and my father so I've kind of got the message now: to just leave it. But I'd love to see him again and shake his hand.”

A friend of Blackwell's, Chantelle Pong, revealed that Blackwell had woken from his coma when they arrived to visit him at hospital on Thursday. She wrote on Facebook:

"A few days ago we had the Christmas miracle we've been wanting so badly to happen.

"We walked into the hospital expecting to see Nick staring blankly at us but instead he was watching telly and really trying to get words out to talk to people now that his breathing ventilator has been taken out completely!

Blackwell retired after suffering serious head injuries (ITV/Good Morning Britain)

"He looks just like himself again and is very smiley.

"We knew he could hear us talking to him when he was asleep and this is the one thing we kept saying - 'just wake up before Christmas'.

"He's still got a very long way to go to recover to his full potential but we know he will do it."

PA