Kovalev did to Hopkins. The range and reach will be too much for Eubank Jr to handle. Billy just needs to pace himself well and should be easy nights work.
BJS has the reach and range, but Eubank is not someone that relies on working everything behind a jab, and working his way in methodically. He's a free-styling sharp shooter than can improvise and jump in with heavy shots and work from there; a mixture of the conventional and unconventional. He'll have BJS rattled with that ability and he'll start getting weary of that improvisional unorthodoxy and leave himself susceptible to the more textbook boxing that Eubank will dish out. Saunders will basically lose confidence and his plan A will lose conviction. Eubank may have problems early on but he'll start moving up to gears that BJS can't handle by the mid-point and render the any stylistics/reach/range obsolete.
That's a very detailed breakdown, well done. But how do you get past Eubanks hopelessly low workrate? No matter how well you box for 30 seconds a round, it's still only 30 seconds out of 180. It's not as if Eubank is an incredibly hard puncher, either. Actually he is quite a light hitter, which makes his position even more difficult.
I fully anticipate Saunders being ahead after the first four or five rounds, but Eubank will land a shot or combination that will stun Saunders (after confusing Saunders for three of four rounds with his feints, and unorthodox single shots, basically setting him up). Once Saunders gets shaken the dynamic of the fight will change, Saunders will back up, Eubank will take cente of the ring, and continue to feint and threaten to throw more than he actually does(again setting him up). By this stage Eubank won't actually have to throw much because it will be clear he's the superior athlete with the bigger weapons, and Saunders will be in survival mode to an extent. The fight will linger on until ninth or tenth and that's when Eubank will go full steam ahead and stop him. I think Eubank has power, and anyway, speed + unorthodoxy means Saunders will get hit by shots he doesn't see.
Eubank jr workrate is certainly a factor in the fight he won't be able to win the close rounds fighting at that pace. BJS and Eubank Jr both the same age but one way more experienced than the other at this level.Will be interesting viewing as long as BJS fights using his boxing brain I can see only one winner. Many I know who's views I respect think Eubank Jr will win looking forward to how it plays out.
You make your point very well. But I think what you are outlining is at best only "possible" and far from "likely". I'm not at all convinced that Eubank is the " superior athlete" at all. Yes he has the body shape of a " gym bunny", but that is only one criterion. Despite having questionable living habits and training discipline, Joe manages to have one of if not the highest workrates of all current middleweights. He pretty much Dances and shoe-shines 3minutes of every round. Surely THAT is the only measure of "athleticism" that really matters here? Furthermore I am far from convinced that Eubank is a big puncher. Generally the slower, lower workrate fighters best chance to win lies in him having a big punch and Eubank for me does not even have that advantage. :good
True, Saunders has that lithe, lean, Calzaghe type physique and people often thought Calzaghe would struggle against more chiselled types like Mitchell, Kessler but his physique- which leant itself to voluminous output- meant he overwhelmed them and made them pedestrian and stiff in comparison. As I said, I can see that being the case with this fight early on; Saunders looking too sharp, and out-working Eubank. However I feel Eubank is the naturally stronger bigger guy and as the fight goes on, he'll be able to walk Saunders down quite easily, similar to what Andre Ward does to fighters, and sit down on his punches. So, equilibrium temple shots early on to shake Saunders and rattle him, and then some heavy ones later on once he plants his feet a bit up close. Anyway, we'll see mate. Should be a good fight.
im really looking forward to this fight and as iv said many times in many threads i think CEJ will knock saunders out in the mid to latter rounds . i can see saunders having some success early with his busy work rate but as the fight goes on i see eubank taking over . all i have been reading lately on here is "eubank has fought nobodies" "he is not in saunders class" etc etc . even though this is all true is it not fact that every fighter on the planet goes through this "step-up a level" barrier during there career and has to be tarnished with these stupid comments until they do fight boxers with more experience . eubank has been groomed for greatness , ok his fights have been against very mediocre opponents up till now but people seem oblivious to the fact that outside of these fights he has been in froch , mayweather and maidana camps prepping fighters for world title fights . he is not in those camps to be the tea-boy or the easy spar session to make the champion feel good , he is there because he is looked upon to be quality preperation for a world title fight from the real boxing peers that are in the know . seriously i think people are hugely underestimating eubanks abilities , personally i see this fight as his first big test that i believe he will come through and along with joshua will become a british fighter all boxing fans in the UK can start getting excited about .
