Former boxer Michael Watson appeals for witnesses after being injured in car-jacking incident
P olice are investigating after former boxer, Michael Watson was hurt in a suspected car-jacking attempt in east London.
The 51-year-old who is partially disabled after being injured in the ring during a one thousand nine hundred ninety one super middle-weight clash with Chris Eubank, was dragged from a car while a friend was sprayed with a substance thought to be ammonia during the incident in Chingford, east London on Thursday.
He has appealed for witnesses after the “very panicking, violent situation”.
According to a spokesman for Mr Watson, he and a friend, Lennard Ballack, had been travelling along the Ridgeway in Chingford when a car bumped them from behind.
When Mr Ballack got out of the car to speak to the other driver he had a substance sprayed in his eyes.
T he fellows then went to the car containing Mr Watson and dragged him out of the vehicle onto the road, before splattering Mr Ballack in the face again, before driving away.
Mr Watson’s spokesman said at this stage the incident is being treated as an attempted car-jacking.
He said: “Michael is OK. I think he is very, very sore however. He got dragged along the road so some of the skin has cracked badly.
“Lennard’s suffering a bit – his eyes are not good. I gather the police have been very good, so the aim now is to catch the people who did this.”
Watson was taken to hospital with cuts to his back while his friend was also seen by doctors after one of the suspects sprayed a substance in his eyes. The victims are now recovering at home following the incident.
I n a statement, Watson thanked fans for their support and urged for witnesses to come forward.
He said: “I am shocked with all the messages I have received and the kindliness shown to me and I would like to thank everyone for their concern.
“Lennard and I were involved in a very scaring, violent situation which came out of the blue in broad daylight in the middle of the afternoon.
“I don’t want anyone else to have to go through that so I’m asking you to help the police in finding these boys and bring them to justice.”
The Metropolitan Police said officers had been called to the scene shortly 5pm on Thursday to reports of attempted robbery.
A police spokesman said: “Two fellows, aged in their 50s, informed officers that they had been sprayed in the face with a suspected noxious substance by two suspects who attempted to steal the car.
“The masculine suspects fled the scene in a different vehicle. The victims were assessed at the scene by the London Ambulance Service before being taken to an east London hospital for further treatment – their injuries are not life-threatening.”
M r Watson spent forty days in a coma and had six brain operations after a WBO super-middleweight bout against Mr Eubank.
In 2003, he ended the London Marathon over six days, defying doctors’ predictions that he would never walk again.
Figures from the world of boxing have reacted with disgust at the incident and have appealed for anyone with information about the carjacking attack to contact the police.