Scott Westgarth is never out of Dec Spelman's thoughts.
Westgarth tragically passed away after defeating Spelman on points last weekend and Spelman has admitted that his opponent is the first thing he thinks about every morning and the last thing he thinks about every night.
Westgarth claimed a decision victory in Doncaster on Saturday night but was rushed to hospital after falling ill backstage.
"It is the first thing I think of when I get up, last thing I think of when I go to bed at the minute. It is always in my head," Spelman told
Sky Sports. "In the post-fight interview, we had gone 10 hard rounds, and even then I just thought he was a bit dazed -- as did everyone I think.
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"I never for a second thought there was a problem. The next day I had a few missed phone calls and I was a bit down about losing my unbeaten record and then my mum turned up and told me the news. It doesn't seem real. There are no words for how you feel."
Concerns were raised when Westgarth began wincing in his post-fight interview and he was taken to hospital shortly afterwards.
And with the safety of boxing brought into question in the wake of the tragedy, Spelman has yet to decide whether he would feel comfortable returning to the ring.
https://twitter.com/dec_spelman/status/968047490514718721
The 11-1 fighter insists that he will first consult Westgarth's family before he makes a definitive decision on his future.
"It is going to be a long couple of weeks and the rest, before I make any decisions," Spelman said.
"[Retiring] has definitely gone through my head but then I have got to weigh it up.
"I one hundred per cent won't do anything until I get a blessing off his family -- I want their answer first, I have got to take that into consideration."
