Tag Archives: Chris Eubank Jr

Posted on 02/25/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. didn’t have high expectations. The former middleweight interim titlist threw on a dapper outfit and snuggled comfortably into his ringside seat this past weekend at Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom.

Like many, Eubank Jr. was curious to see how the long-anticipated showdown between Kell Brook and Amir Khan would play out. Considering that both are now 35 and no longer in championship contention, Brook wasn’t expecting much.

Yet, following six rounds of dominant action, Eubank Jr. shook his head in approval. Brook punished Khan repeatedly until referee Victor Loughlin was forced to step in and call a halt to their contest.

In Eubank Jr.’s opinion, Brook still has plenty left in the gas tank. Now, after that admission, Eubank Jr. is wondering how a matchup between them would play out.

“I’m not gonna lie, I was not expecting that kind of performance from Kell,” said Eubank Jr. to Sky Sports Boxing. “Dominance from round one until it finished. He proved that he still has the spice. Now I want to see how spicy he can get with me. I’m not Amir Khan.”

Following Brook’s win over Khan, the former 147-pound belt holder found his name on the lips of several notable fighters. In addition to Eubank Jr., both Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Conor Benn expressed an interest in facing him. But while matchups against the two welterweight contenders could drum up interest, Eubank Jr. believes that a showdown between himself and Brook brings more flare and genuine bad blood to the table.

Eubank Jr.’s biggest issue with Brook stems from his 2016 showdown against Gennadiy Golovkin. Brook brazenly moved up two full-weight divisions to challenge a then-undefeated Golovkin for his middleweight titles. Although many praised Brook for his willingness to put his undefeated record on the line, Eubank Jr. was left shellshocked by the entire event.

For years on end, Eubank Jr. has called for a showdown against Golovkin. And while he’s still hoping that they’ll be able to face off in the ring, Eubank Jr. blames Brook directly for snatching the Golovkin fight right from underneath his nose.

“We have history, he’s the reason I didn’t fight Golovkin all of those years ago. I’ve never forgiven him for that. I’ve always held that against him. That was my fight.”

Even with both Brook and Eubank Jr. competing two weight classes apart, Brook has recently called for his much bigger opponent to drop down to 155 pounds. Eubank Jr., on the other hand, wants no part of such a move.

Although it’s unclear who will ultimately win the weight tug of war, Eubank Jr. believes he wields most, if not all, of the negotiating power. As the 160-pound contender looks at Brook’s current options, he has one rhetorical question for his longtime rival.

“Who else can he go to? There’s nobody else out there for him.”

Posted on 02/15/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. has gained a certain reputation over the past few years. The British native and middleweight contender had become known for his high work rate, pernicious knockout power, and come forward fighting style. But while his normal rough and rugged abilities placed him amongst the best at 160 pounds, Eubank Jr. grew offended by the perception of his overall skills.

Heading into the 32-year-old’s middleweight showdown against long-hated rival Liam Williams on February 5th, at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff Wales in the United Kingdom, Eubank Jr. smiled and laughed as he made his way to the ring. Though it was clear that he loathed his fellow Brit, Eubank Jr. went into their contest with a different mindset.

“I came into this fight wanting to show a different side of myself,” said Eubank Jr. following his dominant 12 round unanimous decision victory. “I didn’t want to knock him out and finish the fight in the first round. I probably could’ve done it if I had pressed it after those first three knockdowns.”

As Eubank Jr. eludes to, Williams found himself on the canvas several times throughout the night. In the opening frame, Williams attempted to bulldoze his way on the inside. Eubank Jr., however, flashed a strong left-hand jab which saw Williams hit the deck. In rounds two, four, and 11, Williams reconvened with the canvas.

For the majority of their contest, Eubank Jr. boxed, moved, picked his shots when need be, and played effortless defense. With the British star successfully unveiling an entirely different side to his arsenal, he now has his eyes set on a world title opportunity. As he continues to wait on his shot at gold, Eubank Jr. is hopeful that with his new bag of tricks, the observers will view him as a more versatile and well-rounded fighter.

“I’m so sick of people saying he doesn’t have a jab, he doesn’t have any foot movement, he doesn’t have any defense. I was like, let me show these guys a different side.”

Posted on 02/07/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. boxed, moved, brawled, and simply outclassed his longtime rival Liam Williams this past weekend. The two squared off at Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales in the United Kingdom.

Though the jam-packed crowd stood and cheered when Eubank Jr. was handed the unanimous decision victory, several miles away, a stoic Billy Joe Saunders sat stone-faced in his palatial estate.

For most of Eubank Jr.’s career, he’s used brute force and relentless pressure in an effort to outwork the competition. But, since joining forces with Roy Jones Jr., Eubank Jr. has attempted to adapt his Hall of Fame boxing style. And, during various points of his showdown against Williams, Eubank Jr. did his best to imitate the pound-for-pound legend.

Regardless of the British star being successful against Williams, Saunders was bemused by what he actually saw.

“When Eubank can out-box somebody, that’s when you know you’ve had a bad night,” said Saunders during an interview with IFL TV. “He’s trying to imitate the style of the great Roy Jones Jr. but it’s not even boxing is it? I don’t know what it was.”

Saunders 32, seemingly strolled to the ring for the final time on May 8th, 2021. On the night, Saunders attempted to prove that he was always the better fighter when he took on current undisputed super middleweight titlist, Canelo Alvarez. Although Saunders had his moments, his WBO 168 pound title was violently stripped away from him via eighth-round stoppage.

During a particularly competitive eighth round, Saunders bit on a feint thrown by Alvarez. While attempting to duck low, Alvarez immediately blasted him with a right uppercut, resulting in a fractured right orbital bone and eye socket.

Since undergoing the knife to correct his injuries, Saunders has mulled retired. He’s also stated that he would only be willing to return to the ring if a big fight popped up on his radar.

While the former two-division titlist has enjoyed his time away from the sport, he’s grown tired of staring at the wall and flipping on the television to see what’s going on in the world. With so much time on his hands, Saunders believes he now fully understands why so many boxers are unable to remain retired.

“It’s good sitting down but you get bored a bit. I can see why fighters come back in this day and age. You think oh they must be coming back for the money but realistically, it’s boredom. There’s nothing like the boxing life.”

On the shortlist of matchups that could get Saunders up and motivated about returning to the ring, would be a matchup against Eubank Jr. The two have clashed verbally for nearly a decade, with Saunders believing he had the last laugh, considering he handed Eubank Jr. the first loss of his career.

Before growing inactive, Saunders competed and won world titles at 160 and 168 pounds. Having known exactly what it takes to hoist championship gold, Saunders gave a candid response when asked if Eubank Jr. can one day replicate his achievement and win his own world title.

“I’ve always said he won’t be world champion. He’ll never be world champion because I know what it takes to be world champion. I’ve shared the ring with him, he hasn’t got it.”

Posted on 02/05/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Liam Williams and Chris Eubank Jr. hurled every derogatory curse word in the book at one another during the lead-up of their showdown. Although Williams promised that he would dish out relentless punishment to the middleweight contender, it was Williams who found himself on the wrong end of a fairly one-sided encounter.

Moments before the pair officially met in the center of the ring at Motorpoint Arena in the United Kingdom, the pair refused to shake hands or show any respect before the opening bell.

As their contest kicked off, an aggressive Williams came marching straight ahead with lunging and looping right hands. A composed and relaxed Eubank Jr., however, took a step back and landed a clean right-hand jab. As a result, Williams went crashing down to the deck.

Seemingly undeterred by what took place, Williams rushed back to his feet and egged Eubank Jr. on. In the following round, Williams once again charged forward. He boxed, moved, and aggressively attacked the midsection. During one of his more active exchanges, he left himself wide open for a damaging left hand, something Eubank Jr. would connect with before sending him back to the deck again.

With several of the opening rounds already banked safely, Eubank Jr. settled into a more boxing role. He casually jabbed his man from a safe distance, while carefully taking a step back whenever his rival would let off a barrage of his own.

Considering the amount of animosity both sides showed towards one another during much of their pre-fight buildup, it came as no surprise to see their contest turn into a rough and rugged one.

Following the conclusion of the third round, Williams began throwing punches at his man well after the bell. Refusing to allow those blows to go unanswered, Eubank Jr. went right after his man, connecting on a few shots of his own before they were separated.

With things getting heated, Eubank Jr. turned to his strong and steady jab and produced his third knockdown of the night in the fourth. Though Eubank Jr. appeared to be cruising along, Williams began finding his rhythm as he continually forced Eubank Jr. to fight off his back foot.

Although Williams began slowly crawling his way back into it, Eubank Jr. ended his momentum in the 11th as he registered yet another knockdown. As the final few seconds ticked off the clock, neither man appeared ready to put an end to their rivalry, refusing to acknowledge each other even after the fight.

Still, despite the bad blood, Eubank Jr. officially laid their rivalry to rest, picking up the unanimous decision victory.

Posted on 02/04/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Roy Jones Jr. has thoroughly enjoyed his time as the head trainer of middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr.

Throughout much of the British star’s young career, he’s gone the solo route, training himself for each of his fights and going without someone in his corner during breaks in-between rounds. While his unconventional method has gotten to where he is today, the now 32-year-old decided that it was time for a change.

With Jones Jr. in his corner, the pair have gone undefeated, scoring two wins in a row, including a fifth-round stoppage win over Wanik Awdijan. This Saturday night, at the Newcastle Arena in the United Kingdom, Eubank Jr. will attempt to end his rivalry with highly ranked middleweight contender Liam Williams.

Having closed the door on his legendary boxing career in 2018, Jones Jr. is widely considered by most as arguably the greatest fighter that’s ever laced em up. Still, despite his lofty standings in the pugilistic sport, Jones Jr. believes that after watching Eubank Jr. up close and personal, he has the chance to usurp him in the boxing hierarchy.

“He has the talent to be very close, if not more than what I was in boxing,” said Jones Jr. during an interview with SecondsOut. “He has a lot of talent.”

Jones Jr., a former four-division world champion and newly inducted Hall of Famer, dominated the competition when he was at his best. In addition to his wins over Antonio Tarver, Bernard Hopkins, Felix Trinidad, John Ruiz, and Montell Griffin – Jones Jr. is the only man in boxing history to begin his career as a junior middleweight and win a world title as a full-fledged heavyweight.

Although Jones Jr.’s accolades speak for themselves, Eubank Jr., on the other hand, is still on the hunt for his first world title. The 160 pound contender previously came up short in his one and only bid at a championship in 2018, losing a fairly close unanimous decision against George Groves.

Should the British star pull off the victory against his bitter rival tomorrow night, he’ll look to lure current IBF middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin into the ring.

Posted on 01/24/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. has done his best to be patient. The highly ranked middleweight contender is anxious to settle his long-standing issues with Liam Williams in the ring but has been forced to endure numerous postponements due to the ongoing global pandemic.

Officially, the two will square off on February 5th, at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff Wales in the United Kingdom. During the lead-up of their contest, Williams has warned Eubank Jr. that he has the grit to pull off a victory on the scorecards and the power to end their contest at a moment’s notice.

Still, regardless of his threats, Eubank Jr. believes his longtime rivalry will be on the receiving end of a one-sided beating.

“Nothing is going to save him from what’s coming,” said Eubank Jr. to talkSPORT Boxing. “Absolutely nothing.”

Williams, 29, was supremely outclassed against Demetrius Andrade during their April 2021 showdown. The British native dusted himself off after hitting the deck in the second round, before losing a wide unanimous decision.

In an effort to work his way back up the championship ladder, Williams believes that a win against Eubank Jr. will place him in perfect position for another world title opportunity.

However, the championship goals and ambitions of Williams are something that Eubank Jr. desires for himself. Since losing a fairly close decision at the hands of George Groves in February of 2018, Eubank Jr. has reeled off five consecutive victories.

All along, Eubank Jr. has craved showdowns against the upper echelon of the middleweight division. Presently, Houston’s Jermall Charlo holds the WBC crown, Demetrius Andrade is the proud owner of the WBO title, and Gennadiy Golovkin as well as Ryota Murata are in possession of the IBF and WBA titles respectively.

In the opinion of the British product, championship glory is awaiting him if he can successfully dispatch of Williams come February 5th.

“This fight will happen with Liam Williams and after that, I will be fighting for a world title. I achieve my goals when I say I will. Chris Eubank Jr. to be world champion by the end of 2022.”

Posted on 09/06/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. simply isn’t falling for it.

The 160-pound contender took a comfortable seat in his palatial estate to watch long-time rival Billy Joe Saunders, take on pound for pound star, Canelo Alvarez. The two went toe to toe on May 8th, at the AT&T Stadium, in Arlington Texas. At stake, was three of the four major world titles at 168 pounds.

During the first half of their showdown, Saunders appeared to have several moments of success. The elusive British native tagged Alvarez several times over and evaded numerous big shots that were hurled in his direction. Unfortunately for Saunders, however, his defensive ability failed him when it mattered most.

In the waning seconds of the eighth round, Saunders attempted to avoid a looping right hand of Alvarez. As the 32-year-old ducked low, Alvarez fired off a picture-perfect right uppercut. The moment it landed, Saunders knew immediately that something wasn’t right. The former two-division titlist winced in pain and held onto Alvarez until the sound of the bell.

A visibly bothered Saunders slumped onto his stool, as his cornermen attempted to reopen his right eye. Try as they did, they were unsuccessful in their efforts. With Saunders essentially left with one good eye, his corner pulled him from the match.

Shortly after his defeat, it was revealed that Saunders had suffered a shattered orbital bone and eye socket. But while many around the boxing world has shown sympathy towards him, Eubank Jr. is the exact opposite. In his opinion, Saunders made up the entire injury.

“There is no recovery,” said Eubank Jr. during an interview with IFL TV. “The guy is perfectly fine, he quit, got a black eye, he didn’t want it anymore with Canelo. There was no smashed orbital bone, no broken eye socket. He swallowed it and gave up. That’s why he’s been mia (missing in action) the past few months cause of the shame of what he did.”

Despite Eubank Jr.’s claims, according to multiple reports, Saunders’ injury was as legit as they come. Not only is Saunders said to have undergone successful surgery, but the former two-division titlist is now mulling over retirement.

Regardless of what Saunders asserts, however, Eubank Jr. won’t allow him to pull the wool over his eyes.

“If that was the truth, there would’ve been doctors’ reports, pictures. The guy was driving around in his car a week later with sunglasses on. We’re not sheep. No, he quit.”

Posted on 09/02/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. was thrilled when he heard the news. The former WBA interim middleweight titleholder will return to the ring on October 2nd, in the main event against Sven Elbir at the Wembley Arena.

Having gone the 10 round distance against the previously undefeated Marcus Morrison just a few months ago, Eubank Jr. was satisfied to have ended his near two-year layoff with a win. That said, he doesn’t expect his unheralded opponent to reach the final bell this time around.

“On October 2nd, as soon as I get the opening, this guy is going to sleep,” said Eubank Jr. to Sky Sports Boxing.

While Eubank Jr. isn’t expecting to have much difficulty when he takes on Elbir, he is hoping that an impressive win will springboard him to a much higher platform.

With the WBA sanctioning body stripping Eubank Jr. and all of its interim champions of their world titles, the British native would love nothing more than to face every belt holder in the middleweight division.

Seemingly at the top of his hitlist, is IBF champion, Gennadiy Golovkin.

“Absolutely, he’s a middleweight world champion,” said Eubank Jr. “That’s a fight that the fans have been calling for, for years now.”

Although Eubank Jr. appeared on the verge of facing Golovkin several years ago, neither has been able to agree fully on terms to an agreement.

As for what could be next for the long-time champion, Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) is rumored to be angling for a showdown sometime in Japan against WBA champion, Ryota Murata. Since picking up the first defeat of his career against Canelo Alvarez in September of 2018, Golovkin has gone on to win three straight. In his most recent ring appearance, the 39-year-old floored mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta a total of four times before ultimately stopping him in the seventh.

Eubank Jr., 31, has watched Golovkin from a distance as he slowly rounds back into form. While he refrained from calling Golovkin out immediately, provided he strings together a few more wins, the British product views their showdown as one that will happen much sooner than later.

“The fight has to happen and it will happen within the next 12 months.”

Posted on 09/01/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. spent the entirety of his 2020 sitting on the sidelines. He’ll now look to make his second trip to the ring in a five-month span.

The former WBA “interim” middleweight titleholder will take on journeymen Sven Elbir in the main event slot at Wembley Arena, in the United Kingdom, on October 2nd.

Since losing to George Groves in the World Boxing Super Series, Eubank Jr. has gone on to win four in a row. In December of 2019, Eubank Jr. became an interim titlist with a win over Matt Korobov. Eubank Jr. would then go to defend that title against Marcus Morrison earlier this year in May, outpointing his man over ten rounds.

Eubank Jr.’s title reign, however, was truncated thanks to the WBA sanctioning body removing the proliferation of interim world titles in all weight classes. While he no longer has a championship draped over his shoulder, Eubank Jr. is still hoping that he’ll take on some of the division’s biggest names in WBC belt holder Jermall Charlo and IBF titlist, Gennadiy Golovkin.

As for Elbir, despite his 18-1 record, the German native figures to be a considerable underdog. The 27-year-old is currently unranked in the top ten in any of the four major sanctioning bodies. Regardless of that, Elbir has reeled off six consecutive wins since losing a close decision to Patrick Wojcicki in 2018.

Of Elbir’s six victories, five have come before the sound of the final bell.

Posted on 05/24/2021

By: Hans Themistode

For a number of years now, promoter Eddie Hearn has thrown his hands up in frustration. Although he has gotten a number of fights for Demetrius Andrade, he has failed to get the WBO middleweight titlist a marquee one. With that said, he could be on the brink of doing just that.

The 33-year-old Rhode Island native is fresh off a fairly competitive win over Liam Williams on April 17th. After sending his man to the canvas in the second round, Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs) got past a few scary moments of his own to pick up the win. With the two-division belt holder anxious to know what’s next, Hearn finally had an answer.

According to the long-time promoter, he’s made a significant offer to WBA interim titlist Chris Eubank Jr. for a showdown later on this year. Although both sides are in the infancy stages of their negotiations, Hearn made it clear that team Eubank Jr. is “very interested” in putting together a fight.

For the British native, a matchup with Andrade is exactly the sort of fight he was hoping for. During a recent interview, Eubank Jr. (30-2, 22 KOs) expressed a desire to shed his interim tag and become a full middleweight belt holder. Originally, he believed a matchup with WBA “Super” champion, Ryota Murata, would likely be next. Now, with Hearn willing to place Eubank Jr. in with Andrade instead, his world title dreams could become a reality later on this year.

After spending the better part of a year and a half on the sidelines, Eubank Jr. returned to the ring on May 1st against fringe contender Marcus Morrison. While he proved to be tough, Eubank Jr. was simply a step ahead as he cruised to a unanimous decision victory.

Posted on 04/26/2021

By: Hans Themistode

For the past few years, promoter Eddie Hearn has had front row tickets to watch Demetrius Andrade fight in the ring. Normally, oftentimes pretty early, Hearn would simply shake his head as the WBO middleweight belt holder outclasses his opponents.

Roughly one week ago, Hearn shook his head once again as Andrade cruised to a unanimous decision victory against a game but clearly overmatched Liam Williams. Immediately following the win, Hearn called for a showdown between Andrade and WBC belt holder, Jermall Charlo. The two have gone back and forth for years but haven’t been able to come to an agreement behind the scenes for their contest to become a reality.

Although Charlo or IBF titlist Gennadiy Golovkin would be his first choice, Hearn could steer Andrade towards a top contender for a high-profile fight instead.

“Eubank vs Andrade, I like this fight,” said Hearn while on Instagram live.

Eubank Jr., 31, currently holds the WBA interim middleweight crown following a somewhat fortunate win against Matt Korobov in December of 2019. The Russian native appeared to win the opening round between the pair but was forced to throw in the towel following a shoulder injury in the second.

Since then, Eubank Jr. (29-2, 22 KOs) has sat idly on the sidelines. He’ll look to work off a bit of ring rust when he returns this Saturday night against fringe contender Marcus Morrison. For the British product, he’s expressed a desire to face all of the top names in the division, most specifically, Eubank Jr. is targeting a showdown against WBA full titleholder, Ryota Murata.

His plans to dethrone Murata, however, could become sidetracked if Hearn has it his way. The longtime promoter doesn’t want to put too much of his focus on the possibility of Andrade and Eubank Jr. stepping into the ring against one another. But, if the British native takes care of business come Saturday night, he’ll give it more thought.

“Let’s see what happens on Saturday with Chris Eubank but I have no problem bringing Andrade to the U.K. to fight Chris Eubank Jr. for the world title.”

Posted on 04/08/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. views a showdown between unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and WBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders as noncompetitive. The two are slated to face off on May 8th, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington Texas on May 8th.

According to oddsmakers, Saunders is listed as a long shot to take the pound-for-pound star down. In the mind of Eubank Jr., the gambling world is right. In fact, the middleweight contender is so confident in Alvarez pulling off the win in destructive manner, that he intends on putting his money where his mouth is.

“Saunders is going to get hurt,” said Eubank Jr. during an interview with Talk Sport. “I’m going to be putting a £10,000 bet on Canelo to knock Saunders out. That’s what I think is going to happen. I think Saunders is going to get knocked out.”

Eubank Jr. picking against Saunders comes as no surprise. The two have a long history with one another dating back to a 2014 split decision that went in the favor of Saunders. Since then, Eubank Jr. won eight in a row before another speed bump in the road, this time against George Groves. Currently, Eubank Jr. is on a three-fight win streak and will look to make it four in a row when he takes on journeyman Marcus Morrison on May 1st.

With Saunders in possession of a world title and an undefeated record, he has seemingly earned his shot at the consensus best fighter in the world in Alvarez. Still, even with Saunders holding the upper hand against Eubank Jr., the middleweight contender doesn’t spend any time thinking about what happened in the past. As far as he’s concerned, their first fight happened another lifetime ago.

“I don’t really feel like Saunders has improved since he last fought me. I think he is the same guy. I am levels and levels above what I was when I first got into the ring with Saunders. I feel like he is the same guy; that guy can’t beat someone like Canelo.”

Speaking of who can beat Canelo Alvarez, Eubank Jr. believes the answer is clear. In his opinion, the only reason Alvarez has remained undefeated since his loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2013, is because the Mexican star simply hasn’t faced him in the ring yet.

“Somebody who is going to be successful against Canelo, you have to have a very different mindset, a very different approach to the average boxer. I don’t think Saunders has what it takes. I have what it takes, I know the way to beat Canelo. I’m sure I will get my shot within the next couple of years. But it is a very bad fight for Saunders and, if it happens, he is going to get knocked out.”

Posted on 02/27/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. just needs somebody to explain to him how in the world did Avni Yildirim hit the lottery. Somehow, after getting brutally knocked out in their contest in 2017, Yildirim has managed to score a showdown with the one fighter he has been craving to face the most in Canelo Alvarez.

The two are slated to face off in the main event slot at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida.

Although Yildirim had managed to win five fights in a row before losing his most recent contest against Anthony Dirrell in 2019, Eubank Jr. still doesn’t understand how the man he took care of relatively easily, scored the most lucrative ticket in all of boxing.

“Why is Canelo fighting a guy I knocked out in three rounds three years ago?” Said Eubank Jr. on his Twitter account.

Eubank Jr. has always expressed his desire in facing Alvarez. Still, even with the British native campaigning one weight class lower, he doesn’t mind facing the current unified super middleweight champion on his turf.

At the moment, Eubank holds the interim WBA middleweight title. Through his own admission, his eyes are locked and loaded on full belt holder Ryota Murata. But even though his immediate future doesn’t involve a clash with Alvarez, Eubank Jr. is confused as to how Yildirim is facing him to begin with.

With the vast majority of the boxing world under the impression that Alvarez is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Eubank Jr. believes that, considering what he was able to do to the Turkish product several years ago, that Alvarez should have little to no trouble one-upping him.

After all, if Alvarez is what many say he is, then Eubank Jr. is steadfast in his belief that Alvarez should be able to get the job done before fans get comfortable in their seats.

“I guess if he’s really the P4P (pound for pound) like people claim, he’ll stop him in the first round tonight. Let’s see.”

Posted on 01/13/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Chris Eubank Jr. is ready to hit the ground running. After spending the entirety of his 2020 campaign on the sidelines, the British native is ready to get active and participate in the biggest fights possible. To help in his search for the most prominent fights out there, Eubank Jr. has changed promotional outfits, going from Premier Boxing Champions to Sauerland Promotions.

Now that the business of boxing has taken care of itself, the 31-year-old is eyeing a showdown with IBF middleweight belt holder Gennadiy Golovkin. While he admits that everyone holding a golden trinket at 160-pounds can get it, he’s made it abundantly clear that Golovkin is the name he wants above all others.

“Absolutely,” said Eubank Jr. when questioned if he wants Golovkin in 2021 by IFL TV. “It’s no secret, I’ve wanted that fight for years. It’s a win, win. Everybody wins, the fans win and the fighters win. Hopefully, we can get that fight in 2021 but all the guys with belts in the middleweight division are on the Hitlist. They’re all on the radar.”

For Eubank Jr., stepping into the ring immediately with someone the level of Golovkin wouldn’t be the best idea. Aside from the former title challenger failing to step into the ring at all this past year, in 2019, the British product’s most recent contest lasted a mere two rounds. In early December of that year, Eubank Jr. faced off against Matt Korobov. The early goings of their contest saw Eubank Jr. outboxed in the first round. However, Korobov failed to keep the momentum going as he suffered a shoulder injury and was forced to withdraw.

The win for Eubank Jr. allowed him to wrap the WBA interim middleweight world title around his waist. Still, he doesn’t believe he’s quite ready to face the likes of Golovkin yet. At least, not without getting himself reacclimated.

In terms of who would be best suited to help him wipe some of the dust off, names such as Liam Williams and Kell Brook have been thrown around. Whomever is chosen from the two makes no difference to Eubank Jr. As far as he’s concerned, he’ll bust up anyone of them.

“I need a warm-up fight so if they want to throw one of those guys in there with me within the next month or so to get me warmed up for my title fight, then I wouldn’t say no. I’ve been out of the ring for 13 months and my last fight was two rounds. So if they want to throw me one of those guys to smack them up a little bit I’m happy to do that.”

In addition to a showdown with Golovkin as well as either Brook or Williams, Eubank Jr. is under the impression that he is in the perfect position to face Ryota Murata. Thanks to Canelo Alvarez officially vacating his WBA “Super” world title, then “Regular” titlist Ryota Murata was elevated to the position Alvarez recently forfeited. With Eubank Jr. holding the interim crown, outside of a matchup with Golovkin, he views a contest with Murata as one that makes the most sense.

“Murata has been elevated now to Super champion in the WBA. I’m the WBA interim world champion so that’s a fight that makes sense. That’s a fight that I want this year for sure and would definitely win.”

Posted on 01/01/2021

By: Hans Themistode

The big fights are easy to identify. Even the most casual fans will tune into matchups headlined by Terence Crawford vs Errol Spence Jr. or Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua. While those fights are undoubtedly huge, discussing them has become incredibly repetitive.

The sport of boxing doesn’t revolve around those obvious big fights, and more times than not, those marquee matchups either take years to materialize or fail to happen at all. The anticipation would go through the roof if Canelo Alvarez agreed to take on Jermall Charlo or if Manny Pacquiao and Terence Crawford came to a bout agreement. But there are a ton of other possible matches that are floating under the radar. One’s that would make fight fans and even casuals run to their television screens. Let’s take a look a look at some of them now.

Luis Ortiz vs Andy Ruiz Jr

When it comes to the heavyweight division, much of the attention is on unified champion Anthony Joshua as well as WBC/Ring magazine belt holder Tyson Fury. There is little doubt that their showdown would entertain. However, a contest between former champion Andy Ruiz Jr. (33-2, 22 KOs) and multiple time title challenger Luis Ortiz would possibly produce even more fireworks.

Both big men know how to box but more importantly, they know how to bang and enjoy doing it. Outside of his defeats to Deontay Wilder, Ortiz (32-2, 27 KOs) has never come close to losing a fight. The now 41-year-old is fresh off a first-round knockout win against Alexander Flores in early November. Ruiz Jr., on the other hand, is still searching to get back on track following his one-sided loss against Anthony Joshua in late 2019. Both men hit hard, have sturdy chins and need a big fight.

This one has fight of the year candidate written all over it.

Jermall Charlo vs Chris Eubank Jr

WBC middleweight belt holder Jermall Charlo (31-0, 22 KOs) has been described in a variety of ways. Brash, brazen, loquacious and even arrogant. In many respects, so has WBA interim titlist Chris Eubank Jr.

Charlo, 30, has done his best to quiet his doubters with his most recent performance, an easier than expected win against perennial contender Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Eubank Jr. though, is in a similar position. Sure his world title win was a bit fortuitous considering his opponent in Mat Korobov dislocated his shoulder in the second round of their matchup, Eubank Jr. (29-2, 22 KOs) proved in his prior fight that he can not only compete with the elite but beat them convincingly. That much was proven after sending former champion James DeGale into retirement.

In terms of Charlo and Eubank Jr., both men have expressed plenty of interest in facing each other. With nothing set in stone for either man at the moment, both should look to make this showdown happen next.

Erickson Lubin vs Jarrett Hurd

Has there ever been a boring fight involving Jarrett Hurd? Of course not. The former unified Jr middleweight champion was once viewed as the class of the division. Those thoughts however, have mostly dissipated following his surprising defeat to Julian Williams in mid-2019.

Still, with only one loss plastered to his record, the Maryland native is far from done. A possible matchup with Erickson Lubin would prove just that, provided he wins.

Lubin, much like Hurd (24-1, 16 KOs), saw his stock take a considerable hit the moment his head bounced off the canvas courtesy of a Jermell Charlo left hand in 2017. He’s rebuilt himself nicely since then reeling off five straight wins. If he wanted, Lubin could sit back and await his second crack at a world title but the 25-year-old loves a good fight. Ironically enough, Hurd loves himself a good scrap as well. It’s a matchup made in boxing Heaven.

Terence Crawford vs Keith Thurman

No not Manny Pacquiao and no not Errol Spence Jr. Terence Crawford (37-0, 28 KOs) should pick a fight with former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman. By all accounts, Spence Jr. is the top name in the division and the one Crawford should continue to lure into the ring. With that being said, Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) was Spence Jr. long before he broke into the championship mix.

The biggest wins on the Dallas native’s resume came at the expense of Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter. While they were impressive victories, Thurman took care of business against both men in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Injuries, of course, have held back the 32-year-old Thurman. And despite his loss to Pacquiao in his last ring appearance, he proved that there’s still plenty left in the tank.

Fans have grown tired of begging and groveling for a matchup between Crawford and Spence Jr. Instead, they should switch their focus and hope that Crawford faces Thurman. The former champion may have lost countless fans due to his inactivity in the ring but he’s still one of the best fighters in the world.