Chris Eubank Jr calls out James DeGale, Billy Joe Saunders and Gennady Golovkin as he prepares for big year
Eubank begins the year with his first world title fight, comepting for the IBO super-middleweight belt in early February
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Love him or hate him, Chris Eubank Jr is one of British boxing’s hottest talents and in 2017, he’s looking to take things to a whole new level.
Eubank fights for his first world title on 4 February when he faces Renold Quinlan for the IBO super-middleweight title. Eubank, 27, has been boxing as a professional since 2011, quickly building a record of 23-1 in Europe.
Speaking this week, Eubank was keen to stress that he’s not overlooking his upcoming adversary, but that he sees him very much as stepping stone for getting his name in the mix with some of the biggest players on the world stage.
“The main three guys I want at the moment are [James] DeGale, [Billy Joe] Saunders and [Gennady] Golovkin,” Eubank said. “Obviously winning this super-middleweight world title puts me in a position to challenge these super middleweights.”
Eubank then explained why those were the names on his radar and he started with his fellow British fighter DeGale. Suffice to say, Eubank wasn’t impressed with DeGale’s performance against Badou Jack last Saturday, when the two fought out a majority draw.
"DeGale is seen as one of the best, if not the best super-middleweight in the world, and I think that's embarrassing in my opinion,” Eubank said. "As everybody saw the other night, the guy is just easy to hit.
“He comes out after a 12-round fight and he's got no teeth – that's embarrassing in my opinion. You're a world champion and you have no defense.”
He then moved on to the man he himself calls his “nemesis”, Billy Joe Saunders. Back in November 2014, Saunders became the first and only man to date to defeat Eubank via split decision. Since then, Eubank’s been gunning for revenge and says that when he gets Saunders in the ring again, it’s going to be a whole different story.
DeGale is seen as one of the best, if not the best super-middleweight in the world, and I think that's embarrassing in my opinion. As everybody saw the other night, the guy is just easy to hit.
“Saunders has a win over me and that fight is never going to leave my mind until I even the score,” Eubank said. “It was my first twelve round fight and I’d only gone eight rounds before that. I believe that played a big part in my performance as far as pacing myself too much early on during the fight.
“I slowed the pace down too much in the early rounds and that’s where I gave points away. When I got to the fifth-round I realised it was easy and that it was ok. Then I turned it up and started dominating the rest of the fight. I understood then I was a twelve-round fighter and that I can go twelve rounds. I know I need to go from round one now and I’m a whole different animal in the ring than I was two years ago.
“I’m much more experienced, much stronger and much quicker. Everything about me is so much more finely tuned that I believe in the rematch, when it does happen, I believe it’s going to be a complete annihilation. I’ll take the guy out in four rounds.”
The last man on the Eubank Jr’s hit-list this year is one many call the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world, Gennady Golovkin. Eubank said the fight with Golovkin is one he’d relish and that he’d seen holes in the Kazakhstani’s game he knows he’d be able to exploit.
“The Golovkin fight is something I’ve been very vocal about over the last year and a half and I know I can beat that man,” Eubank said. “He’s seen as one of the pound-for-pound best in the world so that’s a fight I just want for the pure fact that I believe people need to understand and people need to know the truth and he’s not the truth.
“People think just because he’s knocking these guys out that he’s the best in the world, but I see so many weaknesses in his boxing style that I believe I can fully exploit. I’d love that fight.”
While all three names are on his radar, Eubank reiterated boxing was never a sport that followed a plan and that he’d be ready to take on whatever the future holds for him.
“Those are the three on I want, but I know boxing is a fickle sport so I’m going to take whatever I can get,” Eubank said. “You can’t plan a route like that and you just have to deal with things as and when they come.
“As I said, those are the three guys I would like, but I know there are no guarantees. I’ll be ready for anything and that all starts with February 4 and beating Quinlan.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments