Sports Correspondent Kevin Gearey: "Watson's home is a shrine to his achievements in the ring"

Watson suffered irreparable brain damage in the 12th and final round of his contest against world champion and fellow Briton Chris Eubank at White Hart Lane in north London in 1991.

Fight experts say victory for Watson could force the BBBC into liquidation.

On Friday in the High Court in London, Mr Justice Ian Kennedy will give judgment in a civil lawsuit brought by Watson with the backing of the Professional Boxers' Association (PBA).

The judge will decide if the BBBC is liable for Watson's injuries. If he finds in the boxer's favour the board may appeal.

The PBA's founder and president, former world champion Barry McGuigan, told BBC News Online he hoped Watson would win but he feared for the sport.

Duty of care

He said: "Michael is saying the facilities weren't there and it took him too long to get him under the surgeon's knife and as a result he has suffered irreparable brain damage and he has a very strong case."

Barry McGuigan: "Michael says he suffered irreparable damage because they didn't get him under the surgeon's knife in time."

Watson's lawyers claim the board, as the organisers of the Eubank fight, owed him a duty of care and failed him miserably.

They say if he had received "proper attention" in the ring in the minutes following his collapse and during his transfer to hospital, he would not have suffered brain damage.

They said medical specialists were not at the ringside on the night of the fight and the organisers took too long getting Watson to a hospital.

As a result he slipped into a coma and had to undergo emergency surgery for a blood clot. He suffered permanent brain damage, they claim.

Lost half his brain function

Watson, 34, has made a partial recovery - he can talk and can walk a little but will never be able to work again.

Watson had emergency surgery to remove blood clot from his brain

He has lost about half his brain function, is paralysed down his left side and will never work again.

Watson's camp believe he would have made a complete recovery if the right facilities were available, although he would not have been able to continue as a professional boxer.

Trainer Jimmy Tibbs told the hearing "massive improvements" had been made to the sport since 1991 but only after Watson's near death.

Four years after Eubank v Watson, Gerald McClellan suffered brain damage in a fight

He said: "We now have anaesthetists and paramedics at ring-side. You are not allowed to start a contest until two emergency ambulances are at the venue.

"None of these measures were in place on the night of Michael's fight. It's a shame that it took the near death of Michael to bring these changes about."

Lawyers for the BBBC say the damage was caused in the fight and no amount of medical attention afterwards, in or out of the ring, could have prevented Watson's injuries.

The judge is only being asked to decide the issue of liability at this stage.

Barry McGuigan: "No boxing match should take place more than an hour's drive from a neuro-surgical hospital"

If he decides the BBBC are liable, he will go on to attribute damages.

Watson is claiming compensation for his injury and losses, including his career.

Eubank, who drew an earlier bout with Watson, retained the WBO title for several years after the tragic second fight, earning hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Watson was ahead on points and knocked Eubank down in the 11th round.

But the Brighton fighter got up and fought back, knocking Watson down with a vicious uppercut.

Eubank's onslaught continued in the next round and the bout was called off after about 30 seconds. Watson lost consciousness within minutes.