Chris Eubank Sr. believes his son and Eddie Hearn can reach the heights he hit with Barry Hearn as Eubank Jr. makes his Sky Sports debut against Tony Jeter at the Sheffield Arena tomorrow night, live on Sky Sports.
Weigh-in Results
LIVE FLOAT 8 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight Contest
ATIF SHAFIQ (10st 3lbs 3oz) v JAMIE ROBINSON (10st 3oz)
(Rotherham) (Bolsover)
LIVE ON SKY SPORTS 1 FROM 8PM
10 x 3 mins Eliminator for British Featherweight Championship
LEIGH WOOD (9st) v JOSH WALE (8st 13lbs 3oz)
(Gedling) (Barnsley)
Followed by
12 x 3 mins European Super-Bantamweight Championship
GAVIN McDONNELL (8st 9lbs 1oz) v JEREMY PARODI (8st 9lbs 7oz)
(Doncaster) (France)
Followed by
12 x 3 mins WBA World Interim Middleweight Championship
CHRISTOPHER EUBANK JR. (11st 6lbs) v TONY JETER (11st 5lbs 6oz)
(Brighton) (USA)
Eubank Sr. and Barry Hearn enjoyed success and fame in the late 80s and early 90s as Eubank filled stadiums and arenas in World title fights at Middleweight and Super Middleweight, recording huge TV audiences for his blockbuster events masterminded by the hall of fame promoter.
Eubank Jr – who scaled 11st 6lbs, Jeter weighing 11st 5lbs 6oz – joined forces with Eddie Hearn in September and fights under his new promoter for the first time this weekend, defending his WBA Interim Middleweight title in the process. A showdown with Spike O’Sullivan at The O2 on December 12 is slated for Eubank if he gets past the American – and his legendary father believes these are the first steps on the way to world titles.
“Barry and I had a lot of fun and gave the public a lot of joy and we are looking to replicate that with our sons,” said Eubank Sr. “Eddie has the ability and savvy, he’s smart and relentless giving fighters the chance to realise their potential – so I don’t think there’s anyone better to get Junior to the summit of the sport.
“With Eddie and Barry Hearn involved, there’s nothing to stop Junior from fighting and beating the very best in the coming years. I firmly believe that Junior will be crowned a Middleweight World champion, will beat the likes of Gennady Golovkin, and will be recognised as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.
“It’s all about belief – I see the path that Junior is on, he has the essence and touch of someone that can reach the top, and with the right guidance from this team around him, he will make it.
“I think that the fans should get behind Junior and encourage him to chase his dreams and goals that I believe are more than in his reach. We have something exciting here and Britain is in a great place in boxing right now.
“For those that say I am too involved, this is a very dangerous business, and I have seen the mistakes that can be made. For me to not get involved, having been to the highest heights, would simply be bad parenting. He is my son, it’s ridiculous to think that I would not be involved, I am not trying to take the limelight, I am protecting and guiding my son, and I believe I have done a good job.
“I think what has given my son the drive to get to where he is now, and beyond, is the fact that I told him no to boxing and I was a very strict father. I had the constitution of a warrior, I wasn’t a normal father – I was a 23 year old sportsman when he was born. I said he cannot box and I think that stayed with him and it drove him on.
“You have to have attitude – people must adore you or hate you. I was doing something that made people have a reaction and that’s what made me box office.”
Gavin McDonnell has vowed to join his brother as a World champion ahead of his European Super Bantamweight title defense against Jeremy Parodi.
McDonnell’s twin Jamie twice travelled to Texas this year to defeat Japanese star Tomoki Kameda in defences of his WBA Bantamweight title, and his success has been a driving force in his training as he defends his Euro strap for the first time against the Frenchman.
“Going over to Texas for Jamie’s fights was fantastic,” said McDonnell. “What he did was tremendous and it still hasn’t really sunk in.
“It was a great experience to go out there and see how it all works and to train out there, to spar out there and to keep myself in good shape. It was great and now I’ve done it, if I ever out there myself I know what to expect. It was no holiday, we were serious about our business. It was experience and that is all good experience on my way up to where I want to be.
“I say to my team – Stefy Bull, Dave Coldwell and Matchroom – that I am happy with whatever they put in front of me. I want some good fights on the fringe of World titles to keep getting that experience ready for when I do fight for a World title.
“I want to be ready and tick all the boxes on the way up because when I fight for a World title I want to win it and stay there so I have to pick up all the experience and whatever my team think is best for me I will do.
“I want to stay busy, I want to get a few fights under my belt. I live in the gym now but this is only my second fight of the year. That is through other things; I got married in the summer and my brother had big fights, so a few little things mean that this is only my second fight of the year but ideally I want four fights a year. If I can’t get out before Christmas then I hope next year will be a busy year for me with some good solid fights to get the experience that I need.”
McDonnell’s European title defence is part of a big night of action in Sheffield as Chris Eubank Jr makes his Sky Sports debut defending his WBA Interim Middleweight title against American Tony Jeter. Leigh Wood faces Josh Wale in an eliminator for the British Featherweight title, there’s the hotly anticipated clash between Sheffield’s Atif Shafiq and Derby’s Jamie Robinson and a host of young local talent is also in action.
