Former boxer Michael Watson shaken by suspected car-jacking

Published Feb. 19, 2017 8:35 p.m. ET

LONDON (AP) Former boxer Michael Watson appealed for witnesses on Sunday after he was involved in a ''very frightening'' suspected car-jacking.

The 51-year-old Watson, who was left partially disabled after suffering a near-fatal brain injury during a WBO super-middleweight title fight with Chris Eubank in 1991, was attacked Thursday while in a car with a friend in London.

Watson was taken to hospital with cuts to his back while his friend, Lennard Ballack, was also seen by doctors after one of the suspects sprayed a substance in his eyes.

''Lennard and I were involved in a very frightening, violent situation which came out of the blue in broad daylight in the middle of the afternoon,'' Watson said in a statement. ''I don't want anyone else to have to go through that so I'm asking you to help the police in finding these men and bring them to justice.''

London's Metropolitan Police said officers were called about an attempted robbery late Thursday afternoon.

After the 1991 fight, Watson needed six operations to remove the blood clot that had formed on his brain, leaving him partially paralyzed.