Michael Watson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Michael WatsonMBE |
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Watson in 2008
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| Nickname(s) | The Force |
| Rated at |
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| Nationality | British |
| Born | 15 March 1965 London, England |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 30 |
| Wins | 25 |
| Wins by KO | 21 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Draws | 1 |
Michael Watson (born 15 March 1965) is a British former professional boxer. He competed from 1984 to 1991. He was known as "The Force."
Michael held the Commonwealth middleweight boxing title from 1989 to 1991. He also fought for a world title three times. His boxing career ended suddenly in 1991 due to a serious injury. This happened during a fight against Chris Eubank for the WBO super-middleweight title.
Contents
Early Boxing Days
Michael Watson started boxing when he was 14 years old. He joined the Crown and Manor boxing club. He learned very quickly and won a London Schools title in 1980. This was for boxers under 71 kilograms (about 156 pounds).
He had a great record at the Crown and Manor Club, winning 20 fights and losing only 2. Later, he moved to the Colvestone Boxing Club. There, he trained with other famous boxers like Kirkland Laing. In 1984, he won a national title for boxers under 75 kilograms (about 165 pounds).
On his 19th birthday, Michael fought John Beckles. Many people thought John would win, but Michael won the fight in just over 30 seconds! People then hoped he would win a medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. However, another boxer took that spot on the Olympic team.
Professional Boxing Career
Michael Watson became a professional boxer in 1984. His career lasted until 1991. A big moment was in May 1989 when he beat Nigel Benn. This win made him the British Commonwealth middleweight champion.
After this, he got a chance to fight for a world title against Mike McCallum. Mike McCallum was from Jamaica. Michael lost this fight in the eleventh round.
In June 1991, Michael fought Chris Eubank for another world middleweight title. Chris Eubank won this fight by a small margin. Some people thought Michael should have won because the scores were very close.
The Rematch and a Life-Changing Injury
Because their first fight was so close, a rematch was set for September 21, 1991. This time, they were fighting for the WBO super-middleweight title. In the 11th round, Michael was ahead on points. He knocked Chris Eubank down. But Chris quickly got back up and hit Michael with a strong punch. Michael fell back and hit his head on the ropes.
The referee stopped the fight in the 12th round. After the fight, Michael collapsed in the ring. Sadly, there was no ambulance or paramedics right there. Doctors arrived, but it took more than eight minutes for Michael to get oxygen. It was 28 minutes before he reached a hospital neurosurgical unit. He had six brain operations to remove a blood clot. Michael spent 40 days in a coma.
After waking up, he spent over a year in intensive care. He also spent six more years in a wheelchair. Slowly, he began to move again, speak, and write. His neurosurgeon, Peter Hamlyn, said Michael's recovery was "extraordinary."
Life After Boxing
Michael Watson later sued the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC). He said they were careless because there wasn't enough medical help at the fight. He won his case. The court said that if he had received oxygen and treatment sooner, his injury might not have been as severe. The BBBoC had to pay him money for his injuries.
In 2003, Michael showed amazing strength by completing the London Marathon. He walked two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon for six days. He was raising money for the Brain and Spine Foundation. Chris Eubank and Peter Hamlyn, his neurosurgeon, walked with him as he finished the race. They had become his friends.
In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II gave Michael the MBE award. This was for his work helping people with disabilities in sports. He was also a torchbearer for the 2012 Paralympic relay.
In 2017, Michael and his carer were victims of a carjacking. Michael was dragged along the road. He suffered flashbacks and seizures after this event. The attackers were later caught and sent to prison.
Michael has said that he has never been angry with Chris Eubank for the injury. Their fight and Michael's journey were shown in a documentary called Four Kings.
Professional Boxing Record
| 30 fights | 25 wins | 4 losses |
| By knockout | 21 | 2 |
| By decision | 4 | 2 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Loss | 25–4–1 | Chris Eubank | TKO | 12 (12), 0:29 | 21 Sep 1991 | White Hart Lane, London, England | For vacant WBO super-middleweight title |
| 29 | Loss | 25–3–1 | Chris Eubank | MD | 12 | 22 Jun 1991 | Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England | For WBO middleweight title |
| 28 | Win | 25–2–1 | Anthony Brown | KO | 1 (10) | 1 May 1991 | York Hall, London, England | |
| 27 | Win | 24–2–1 | Craig Trotter | TKO | 6 (12) | 23 Jan 1991 | Brentwood Centre, Brentwood, England | Retained Commonwealth middleweight title |
| 26 | Win | 23–2–1 | Errol Christie | TKO | 3 (10) | 18 Nov 1990 | National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, England | |
| 25 | Loss | 22–2–1 | Mike McCallum | KO | 11 (12), 2:22 | 14 Apr 1990 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | For WBA middleweight title |
| 24 | Win | 22–1–1 | Nigel Benn | TKO | 6 (12), 1:34 | 21 May 1989 | Finsbury Park Majestic Ballroom, London, England | Won Commonwealth middleweight title |
| 23 | Win | 21–1–1 | Franklin Owens | TKO | 3 (10) | 8 Mar 1989 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 22 | Win | 20–1–1 | Jimmy Shavers | TKO | 3 (10), 2:20 | 18 Jan 1989 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 21 | Win | 19–1–1 | Reggie Miller | TKO | 5 (10), 3:00 | 24 Oct 1988 | Blazers Nightclub, Windsor, England | |
| 20 | Draw | 18–1–1 | Israel Cole | TD | 2 (8) | 28 Jul 1988 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, US | Cole was cut from an accidental head clash |
| 19 | Win | 18–1 | Ricky Stackhouse | TKO | 4 (10) | 4 May 1988 | Wembley Conference Centre, London, England | |
| 18 | Win | 17–1 | Joe McKnight | TKO | 4 (10) | 13 Apr 1988 | York Hall, London, England | |
| 17 | Win | 16–1 | Kenneth Styles | TKO | 9 (10) | 9 Mar 1988 | Wembley Conference Centre, London, England | |
| 16 | Win | 15–1 | Don Lee | TKO | 5 (10), 2:05 | 3 Feb 1988 | Wembley Conference Centre, London, England | |
| 15 | Win | 14–1 | Sam Houston | TKO | 2 (8) | 28 Oct 1987 | Wembley Conference Centre, London, England | |
| 14 | Win | 13–1 | Franky Moro | TKO | 4 (8) | 5 Oct 1987 | Hotel Splendide, London, England | |
| 13 | Win | 12–1 | Cliff Gilpin | PTS | 8 | 19 Mar 1987 | York Hall, London, England | |
| 12 | Win | 11–1 | Ralph Smiley | PTS | 8 | 22 Feb 1987 | Wembley Conference Centre, London, England | |
| 11 | Win | 10–1 | Ian Chantler | TKO | 4 (8) | 19 Jan 1987 | Grosvenor House Hotel, London, England | |
| 10 | Win | 9–1 | Alan Baptiste | PTS | 8 | 4 Nov 1986 | Wembley Arena, London, England | |
| 9 | Win | 8–1 | Simon Collins | KO | 1 (8) | 19 Jul 1986 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | |
| 8 | Loss | 7–1 | James Cook | PTS | 8 | 20 May 1986 | Wembley Arena, London, England | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Carlton Warren | PTS | 6 | 7 May 1986 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Karl Barwise | TKO | 3 (6), 1:29 | 19 Feb 1986 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Martin McEwan | TKO | 6 (6), 1:31 | 5 Nov 1985 | Wembley Arena, London, England | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Gary Tomlinson | TKO | 4 (6), 2:04 | 5 Jun 1985 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Dennis Sheehan | TKO | 3 (6), 2:01 | 14 Apr 1985 | York Hall, London, England | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Johnny Elliott | TKO | 8 (8), 1:20 | 26 Feb 1985 | York Hall, London, England | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Winston Wray | TKO | 4 (4), 1:10 | 16 Oct 1984 | Royal Albert Hall, London, England |
See also
In Spanish: Michael Watson para niños
