Chris Eubank Jr’s career on the edge following shock KO loss
Plus, the ageless Don King still promoting shows
Five years ago ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed, once an elite featherweight who has since morphed into a portly pundit, cheekily suggested that Chris Eubank Jr (26-1 at the time) should hang up the gloves. The Brighton boxer had just suffered his second career loss after chasing a debilitated George Groves around the ring for the final few rounds of their World Boxing Super Series semi-final.
Just as he had been outboxed by Billy Joe Saunders in his first loss, once again Eubank was unable to find a way to defeat a talented technician. Of all the likely outcomes that were put forward regarding Eubank’s Manchester Arena clash with Liam Smith last Saturday, a brutal ‘Beefy’ KO was right down the list of possibilities.
Smith was moving up in weight while Eubank Jr had been competitive at a higher weight against a big strong puncher like Groves. It seemed like a nailed on distance fight.
Eschewing a regular training team for the early part of his career, while Ronnie Davies has been a constant guiding voice, we have seen the legendary Roy Jones Jr slide into Eubank’s corner. One of the best fighters of his generation, RJJ possessed supreme athletic gifts. Unfortunately you can’t gift wrap that style and dish it out to less talented specimens.
Prodding out a powerful jab early on, Eubank seemed intent on giving the impression that he was comfortable and dictating the rhythm of the contest. Managing the visuals of the fight is one thing, but once Smith measured the distance and started throwing in tandem with his opponent, things swiftly took an unexpected turn.
Arguably the most accomplished member of the boxing Smith brothers, Liam waited for his chance and looked for the openings. When his big chance arrived the former WBO super-welterweight champion unleashed a ferocious flurry of clean punches that left Eubank tottering on jelly legs. Were those legs holding up a delicate frame that had boiled down too much in anticipation of a fight with Conor Benn?
Across Eubank Jr’s 12-year career, while following in the footsteps of his famous father, young Chris has trodden a roundabout path that has seen him unable to secure a huge win. Eubank has made huge sums of money, headlined Pay-Per-Views and remained a household name in the UK. However, in terms of a boxing career he has promised so much and yet delivered so little.
Every time Eubank has been on the verge of a big fight it has fallen through. Closing in on a crack at Jermall Charlo in 2020, his momentum petered out after defeating Matt Korobov on an injury and as a global pandemic kicked in, Eubank eventually reappeared in the UK back at domestic level.
Previously on the verge of fighting Gennady Golovkin, Eubank lost his pen at the vital moment when he was due to step-up against one of the most feared finisher’s on the planet. Now he has shown a renewed interest in boxing GGG conveniently as the former destroyer slides towards retirement.
Not short of cash, Eubank has made some smart investments away from the ring. He’ll probably not want to bow out on a loss and will look to have another run towards the top. However, another devastating loss and tubby Naz’s post-WBSS projection could finally come true.
DON KING CONTINUES TO ROLL OUT THE SHOWS
It’s difficult to imagine just what it would take to drive Don King out of boxing. The shock haired eccentric has survived rivals, competitors, a spell in prison and numerous unhappy fighters to remain pitching at 91 years of age. In 2023, boxers driven by the lure of the dollar continue to sign terms with the veteran hustler.
King’s latest promotion saw Jonathan Guidry, a shrimp fisherman from Louisiana, outpoint Bermane Stiverne over 10 rounds. The star names may have disappeared from his roster, and his posters look like they’ve been created in Microsoft Paint, but ‘The Don’ has lost none of his flamboyance.
Sporting his trademark denim jacket while waving miniature flags, King still has an eye for a good scrap as the likes of Tre’Sean Wiggins, Ian Green and Kenmon Evans gently nudged their careers forward with respective victories.
Photo Credit: ABC News
Say what you want about King, back in the day his mammoth Pay-Per-Views regularly delivered high quality matchups between genuine world class fighters. While Guidry, nicknamed ‘The Swamp King’ by his promoter, may not be ready to storm the world title scene, Don has always had an eye for a good heavyweight.
Battling his generational nemesis Bob Arum to see who lasts longest, in a sport that sees promotional entities come and go with little notice, King possesses the ultimate staying power.
NUTHOUSE NOTES
Josh Taylor’s rematch with Jack Catterall has hit another roadblock after the Scotsman withdrew from their proposed March 4 clash with a foot injury. Taylor won a highly controversial decision when the pair met in February 2022 with the vast majority of observers believing that challenger Catterall had done enough (including the podcast below).
While suggestions that Taylor is ducking the rematch are wide of the mark, the 32-year-old ‘Tartan Tornado’ needs to get a move on as his career runs out of momentum.
Anthony Joshua is all set to face Jermaine Franklin on April 1 as the UK heavyweight builds his comeback. Having a tune-up before fighting Dillian Whyte shows where Joshua’s confidence is at right now and also suggests that his handlers are milking the cash cow before placing him back in the line of fire.
Devin Haney is rumoured to be defending his lightweight titles against Vasyl Lomachenko on May 20. ESPN Pay-Per-View is being mentioned as the broadcaster given the status of both boxers.
About Steve: Experienced boxing writer, author of 8 books and podcaster of over 400 eps. 15+ years in the sport. Covered hundreds of shows for newspapers and Boxing News magazine. Chief script writer for Motivedia channel.