Zak Miller has broken his silence after suffering a severe haematoma that ended his British featherweight title fight against Gully Powar, saying he is "blessed" and recovering well.
The 29-year-old was taken to hospital after the bout at Manchester's AO Arena on Saturday, 7 November, was stopped in round 10 due to the size of the swelling on his head, which followed an unintentional head clash midway through the contest.
Fight stopped after medical examination
The referee initially allowed the action to continue after the head clash, but a second examination by a British Boxing Board of Control medic in round 10 led to the fight being halted. Powar was awarded a unanimous decision victory after the judges' cards were tallied.
Miller remained under observation overnight, with his manager Kevin Maree revealing the next day that he was on track for a complete recovery.
Miller speaks out on social media
Seven days after the injury, Miller addressed the incident on social media, saying: "All Part Of The Journey."
"Unfortunate circumstances with the fight being stopped due to head clashes on Saturday night but it's just one of them things, it is what it is. One thing I would like to say is I am blessed and overwhelmed with all the kind messages off each and every person."
He added: "I am ever so thankful, I can't believe it. It truly shocked me. Thank you so much. It might take me a bit of time but I am going to get back to everyone and am sorry I haven't done sooner."
"Thank you, I have had all the necessary scans and checks and I am perfectly fine for those of you who don't know."
Promoter and former champion react
Queensberry promoter Frank Warren described the injury in the immediate aftermath as among the most severe he had witnessed, telling The Sun: "It was horrific. I've never seen that before, to be honest. It started on one side of his head and then it moved to the other side."
"It was awful for him, and to watch, and very worrying. The referee and the doctor were right in stopping the fight."
Warren added: "He went to hospital for observation, he's home now. Honestly, I've never seen anything like that. I've seen horrible cuts, eye injuries, and so forth, but I've never seen anything like that. The fight got stopped and he's in a good place now and he can fight another day. He's with us, Queensberry, and we will make sure he gets whatever he needs in the future."
Ex-world champion Carl Frampton echoed those sentiments, saying: "That is the worst I've ever seen. That was shocking, you have to feel for the kid, he was in a lot of pain."
