Mark Winters, the British light-welterweight champion, yesterday admitted that his ring career is hanging in the balance as he monitors the condition of Carl Wright. Wright, who had brain surgery to remove a blood clot after collapsing following his Sheffield title defeat to the unbeaten Ulsterman on Saturday night, remains critically ill at Walton Hospital in Liverpool.

Winters said: "Obviously it crosses your mind if you ever want to fight again after something like this and I have thought about giving up. I am just totally devastated by Carl's situation but I have been told that he is breathing by himself without the use of the life-support machine.

"I had hoped that winning the title would raise my profile but now the publicity is for all the wrong reasons," said Winters who has put on hold plans to have the first defence of his title in his home town of Antrim before Christmas.