Battersea middleweight Gilbert Eastman was today in intensive care after an operation to remove a blood clot on his brain.

The Guyana-born boxer, whose older brother Howard is a two-time world middleweight title challenger, was taken to the Royal London Hospital last night after being stopped in the last second of his eight-round contest against Sam Webb at the York Hall in Bethnal Green.

Reports suggested Eastman, 35, had suffered a broken neck and blood clot on the brain.

However his trainer Winston Fuller told PA Sport an operation to remove the blood clot had been a success and no serious damage to the neck was sustained.

Fuller said: "He's in intensive care. The operation was successful to remove the clot from his brain. It was a small blood vessel leaking into the brain.

"Gilbert didn't collapse in the ring, he walked under his own steam to the dressing room. Half-way through changing his clothes he was talking to us and then just collapsed.

"They (medics) put a neck collar on him because he hit his neck when he fell back onto the ropes. But the doctors said there was no damage."

Fuller added: "I left the hospital at around 4.30am, I'm going back there later today. His wife and family are with him, they were at the show last night."

Eastman, a former Commonwealth welterweight title challenger and Southern Area light middleweight champion, was fighting Webb on the undercard of Ian Napa's European bantamweight title victory against Carmelo Ballone.

Hang tough Gilbert