Boxing: Americans a closed book for Eubank: WBO champion's struggle to subdue Rocchigiani suggests he is wise to avoid tougher tests. Jonathan Rendall reports from Berlin

CHRIS EUBANK's next defence of his World Boxing Organisation

super-middleweight title will take place next month against his mandatory challenger, the Irishman Ray Close, but there is still no sign that he will tangle with any of the top Americans in the near future.

On the evidence of Saturday's close-run contest against Berlin's Graciano Rocchigiani, Eubank has good reasons not to hurry into such exalted company, even though he claimed afterwards: 'It's not my fault these fights haven't happened. I would fight on the moon if the money was right. But I'm not going to accept lower purses to go to America. If you think I would box just for glory, you must think I'm mad.'

The Germans were convinced that their man had been robbed. Rocchigiani's promoter, Peter Kohl, who lost a pounds 700,000 gamble in bringing Eubank over in the expectation he would lose, said the nine-round margin of victory given to Eubank by one of the three American judges was only explicable because: 'The judge comes from Orlando, which is where Disneyland is'.

Unsurprisingly, Eubank fully

endorsed this judge's reading although his promoter, Barry Hearn, aware of a certain restiveness among locals at the post-fight press conference, diplomatically consoled: 'Of course, we all know the worst judges of a fight are the fighters themselves.' This only brought another familiar long-winded thesis from Eubank about how insufferably hard are pugilists' lives, particularly his own, and how anyway he needs more money.

Perplexed Berliners found this attitude rather surburban when compared to their own high-romantic ideal of sport, and were not comforted when Hearn said candidly: 'Professional boxing is not sport. My job is to look after the boxers I represent.' Eubank added that Rocchigiani himself would confirm that he did not enjoy boxing. However, the scar-faced German replied: 'Yes, I do.' Eubank replied: 'You must be a masochist.'

In the ring Eubank was never able to subdue Rocchigiani and couldn't bring his hands down

despite aiming for the body for much of the bout. Although the action was exciting enough, the technical level of boxing was poor, serving to underline that Eubank would start a heavy underdog if he took on other 'world' champions like James Toney and Michael Nunn.

According to Hearn, the Berlin venture will be the beginning of Eubank's launch as a globe-trotting star. 'We have had offers from

Japan, Sun City, Denmark and Los Angeles,' he said. In response to the question of whom Eubank would be fighting came the familiar refrain when Eubank is involved of: 'Anyone, if the money is right.'

In front of a doubting audience, Eubank defended himself only by further recourse to the tiresome theme of his own lucrative martyrdom at the altar of finance. 'I have earned more than pounds 4m and you can't scoff at that,' he said. 'But this game is too hard. I don't like boxing.'

Cynics say that, having earned that sort of money against the sort of opponents he has faced, far from resenting boxing Eubank should build a statue to the Marquis of Queensberry in his back garden.

But the pressure on Eubank to meet rival claimants to the super- middleweight crown is mounting and showed in Hearn's attack on the British trade paper, Boxing News, which printed a survey indicating that almost no readers viewed Eubank as the best at his weight. 'I am not going to take any notice of a trade paper with a very small circulation whose views I don't agree with,' the promoter said.

The prospects of such unification bouts happening has probably receded because of a loophole in the contract for last year's drawn Benn- Eubank fight. Had Eubank won, he would have been tied to promotional options by Don King, who is running a unifying series. Although the draw meant Eubank retained his title, there was apparently no contractual provision for this eventuality.

King and his British agent, Frank Warren, might not agree with Hearn's interpretation of the

negotiations, but Hearn said: 'We are completely independent. I may choose to link up with them from time to time. But all I understand is what's in the contract.'

The likely outcome is more winning pay-days for Eubank and more of the same for the rest of us.

(Photograph omitted)