Chris Eubank Jr reveals why new trainer will help him beat James DeGale in grudge match

Eubank Jr has largely trained himself throughout his career but has opted to make the change in his return to the big time after defeat to George Groves last year

It was November 2014, at the final press conference ahead of his grudge match with Billy Joe Saunders, when Chris Eubank Jr first suggested he could conquer the world without the need of a trainer.

“I do what I want,” he had said. “Nobody tells me what I'm going to do in the fight. It's all in my head I don't need somebody telling me what to do.”

Jimmy Tibbs, the feted east end trainer, sat a few seats along the table, turned up his nose. “You must be one in a million then,” he replied.

Eubank, without missing a step, said: “That's right, that's exactly what I am – one in a million.”

As it happened, Tibbs steered Saunders to victory at the ExCel Arena later that week, inflicting Eubank's first career defeat in the process, but even that was not enough to provoke a change for the Brighton man.

Now, four years on and after a numbing loss to George Groves in his first world title fight, Eubank has finally decided he needs help.

Although his famous father has always been part of the team, as well as Eubank Snr's old coach Ronnie Davis, Eubank has effectively been training himself throughout his seven-year professional career to date.

But as he prepares to take on James DeGale in another intriguing all-British showdown, Eubank has employed a coach, flown him over to England and even put him up in his seaside eco-palace.

Eubank met Nate Vasquez while training at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas and believes the little-known trainer can make the difference in his February 23 clash with DeGale at the o2 Arena.

James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr during a press conference (PA)

“I went out to Las Vegas in the summer and met Nate,” Eubank said. “We just clicked.

“I liked how he trained me, his boxing mentality, the things he was saying and doing with me. He's not some guy who's trained a million world champions but he's trained a few good guys.

“It just worked for me. I brought him over to England, he's been living with me and we've been very specific in our training for James, which is something I've never really done before.

“I've flown him over so he's living with me, he was living with me for a month last year and then he had to go back for Christmas and then he came back. He's Mexican so he actually knows to cook as well.

Eubank Jr struggled to land consistently on George Groves (Getty)

“But it's difficult to to listen to someone having trained myself for so long. It has been so many years of me just doing what I wanted to do. It's not like I wasn't pushing myself or training effectively but I wasn't training specifically for the fighters I was fighting. It was just kind of blanket.

“To have that regiment has taken some getting used to, for sure, and I've never lived with anyone before so having someone in the house with me everyday has also been something I've had to get used to. But I'm seeing the benefits, 100 per cent.”

Given his previous stance on not requiring a trainer, Eubank has been accused of being ignorant in the past – and, now 29, he agrees.

He said: “I've just realised that at this level you need that little bit of extra support, preparation in terms of specifically training for who you're fighting.

“I trained myself for all these years and it worked, I had great fights and great wins but I'm not leaving anything to chance now, I'm at the stage where I need everything to be perfect, I need to be 100 per cent for every single fight now.

DeGale and Eubank Jr will settle their feud next month (PA)

“So having a trainer, having constant sparring with guys that can replicate the guy I'm fighting is important so we've made amends and now you guys are going to be able to see the difference in my performances.

“For the Groves fight my main sparring partner was a 6ft 4in cruiserweight who fought absolutely nothing like George Groves.

“Looking back at it now I'm like 'what were you thinking?' But that was just my ignorance I guess. Now if I make a mistake I'll own up to it.

“I’ve flown in Denis Douglin, who actually fought George Groves, and he’s living with me too. There is also Kody Davies from Wales.

“I think these are fighters who can bring me a similar sort of style to what I'll be facing with James.

“I'm not sparring someone completely opposite to what James is, which is what I was doing for George. Because of that I'm expecting a big difference in my performance.”