In June 1991 at London's Earls Court, Chris Eubank had proved himself to be too good for Michael Watson. The showman and WBO champion won by a majority decision of 116–113, 115–113 and 114–114.

Watson, though, was a highly-rated fighter, who many believed was capable of winning the biggest belts.

So, just three months later and on this very day, the two Englishmen met in the ring again, stepping up in weight to contest the vacant WBO super-middleweight title at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane.

This time around, 26-year-old Watson proved his supporters right and by the time that the 11th round came around, it seemed a matter of when and not if he would emerge victorious from the bout.

A series of blows, culminating in a strong right hand, knocked his opponent to the canvas, but inexplicably, a decked Eubank bounced back to his feet and sent Watson crashing down with an uppercut.

The bell was immediately rung, but it was clear that the 60-second break was not enough for Watson. He had to be guided back into the middle by referee Roy Francis, who after watching a string of quick blows by Eubank, decided that Watson could no longer continue.

The verdict was made at 10.54pm and just two minutes later, it became apparent that Watson had a problem. As Eubank celebrated, he slumped down in his corner, much to the concern of his team.

There was no ambulance and no doctor at the fight, meaning that it was several minutes before Watson received any treatment, during which time his brain was starved of oxygen.

Medics faced a battle to save his life and he remained in a critical condition for some time. In total, Watson underwent six brain operations to remove a blood clot and spent 40 days in coma.

In time, Watson would go on to defy the odds as he recovered some movement and regained the ability to speak and write. Remarkably, 12 years on, he completed the London Marathon, walking two hours a day for six days. Eubank and his neurosurgeon, both of whom had become friends with the former fighter, joined him for the final mile.