David Haye has donated almost £100,000 to Nick Blackwell to help the former British middleweight champion prepare for retirement.
Blackwell, 25, will never fight again after his career was ended when it was discovered he suffered a bleed on the skull having been stopped in 10 rounds by Chris Eubank Jnr in March.
He was placed into an induced coma after collapsing at the end of that fight, and while he remained in that coma Haye pledged to donate 10 per cent of ticket sales from his May fight with Arnold Gjergjaj.
The heavyweight had hoped that would come to "a minimum of £50,000" and repeated that pledge mid-May in the week before the second victory of his comeback.
Press Association Sport understands, however, that the figure he gave to Blackwell was in the region of £100,000: more than he earned for any fight except his last against Eubank.
Blackwell also revealed the lengths Haye has gone to to help him and insists reports the 35-year-old is struggling financially are inaccurate.
"It's amazing, he's been so good to me," he told Press Association Sport.
"I didn't know him before at all, but he's texting me every other day, seeing how I am. He even 'Facetimed' me from Miami.
"I didn't know him but I did some work in his gym - when he wasn't there - with George Groves and Shane (McGuigan, Haye's trainer).
"I'm so lucky, it's given me a real start and I'm really grateful to him. It's more than I got paid for any fight except the last one, against Eubank.
"He's also spoken to me about commentary, and me working as a commentator on his next fight. He's offered to help me find investments, looked into help-to-buy (schemes) and that, and recommended mortgage advisers.
"I didn't know anything about what he'd been saying until people told me when I woke up. But the whole thing has surprised me, partly because of what I'd heard from (promoter) Mick Hennessy about when he pulled out of his fights with Tyson Fury."
Blackwell has made a full recovery from the injuries discovered after the defeat by Eubank Jnr, who on Saturday returned to the ring to stop Tom Doran in four rounds. He is fit enough to both surf and engage in light sparring sessions if his head is avoided.
Asked if Haye's generosity surprised him when it is widely accepted he returned to boxing because of his financial needs, Blackwell responded: "Don't believe that. It's all media (speculation).
"Believe me, if he wanted he could retire tomorrow, he doesn't need the money.
"I plan to open my own gym, and when I do he'll be invited, along with (friend) James DeGale.
"I've been so lucky with all this. It's set me up nicely; others who have had to retire haven't been as lucky."
Source: PA
