Chris Eubank JR Career Summary

It does seem a pivotal moment. After that, probably due to both the Groves loss and Covid he seemed to focus entirely on the commercial side, rather than trying to make his mark in terms of world titles and big wins.

Nothing wrong with that, but if you're appraising his achievements in the ring, he was a bit of an underachiever. There was no shame in the Saunders loss, and he was coming on strong against a much more seasoned Olympian who was one of the best boxers in the division. There was big raw material to work with there, which he showed as he went on a tear against the domestic middles after that.

He probably went into the super-middle tourney with big expectations and ambitions, but yeah the loss to Groves seemed to expose that he hadn't progressed as a fighter in the way you'd hope. He just didn't have any answer to Groves' jab, and from that point he seemed to know he probably would fall just short at the top level.

He was better suited to 160, but even so he wasn't beating Canelo or Golovkin, and probably would have struggled against the next tier middles of the era.

All in all, if he gets out now with his senses intact he's had a very worthwhile career. Used the profile of his surname, but also built his own different persona around it. In the ring though, firmly in the good rather than great category.

 

He also effectively ended Groves’ career in that fight, at least in the sense that the shoulder damage changed Groves’ trajectory afterwards. Junior’s own situation wasn’t stable either. He split from Senior around the time of the Groves loss, which left him in no-man’s-land.

There was a spell around 2016 when he was on AJ undercards and Matchroom were talking about launching him as a PPV star, but in my view Senior sabotaged all of that. That pushed Hearn into trying to cash in with the Golovkin fight, which was then derailed as well, leaving Junior floating until the Super Series came along – where he did make some very good purses.

Junior has actually done very well out of the sport, especially considering he forced promoters to work around him rather than the other way round. Not many fighters in history can say that. And he’d have cashed in regardless of the natural rivalry with Conor – he still could now, to be honest.

 

Paul Smith on Talksport last week reckons it's well known Eubank has been shot for about 3 years.
Liam knew it and was devastated at losing to him for that reason.
Could be something in that he hasn't looked any good since the Liam Williams fight and he couldn't finish him off either.
At his best he was tough and an entertaining fighter to watch him and Benn have both lived off there names.

 

Egged a drugs cheat.

Should have never taken the rematch against Conor Hen, and lived off that fight for the rest of time.

But for the egging, much respect.

 

Brought along well early doors. Lost narrowly to BJS in a decent scrap where most think an extra round or 2 might have seem him nick it.
Some solid fighters after Spike, Blackwell, Doran. Ventures into world class territory and beats the ever durable Abraham.
Then something strange happens he fights for the equivalent of the WWE intercontinental title - wins but no gives an F.. Cause Quinlan was a no one.
Drills Yildrim in impressive fashion it what was supposed to be a 50/50 fight then meets Groves. Outsized and outclasses Groves wins. Eubank rebounds and then faces a shot to bits to De Gale and wins a dull fight against a lad with one arm. I actually think its the next fight where he career goes off the rails against Korobov - little can made of the fight although Korobov was landing some stuff but after this with covid etc. Eubank never faces another world level fighter.

I wondered after GGG won that belt in Japan if Eubank might fancy it and find his pen.. A slightly strange career should have fought for the title again at least once and possibly some bigger fighters but he's made his money. If he's shot time to call it a day. He beat Benn well in the first fight the drop off to the 2nd is Joe Joyce stuff.

 

When Eubank went on that run of Spike, Blackwell and Doran, two of which were on AJ undercards - he actually looked good and proved he was above domestic class. That’s where it all went wrong for him though. If Senior hadn’t interfered, Matchroom could’ve built him from there into a PPV name. Titles were probably beyond him at that point because Golovkin and Canelo had the division on lock and Saunders had the WBO. The only way Junior was getting a shot at Saunders was by signing options with Warren or working towards a mandatory.

Fast Car got frustrated and was basically willing to throw him to the wolves with Golovkin, where he’d have been absolutely bodied at that time. That led to him moving up to super-middle, the Poxon fights, then signing for the Super Six, after which he finally split from Senior.

Junior for me is a lot like Yarde, two fights against genuine world-class operators in Saunders and Groves, and in both he was getting clearly outclassed for the first six rounds before closing the gap late. But the gap never fully closed. He never bridged that jump to true world level where you felt he had a legitimate shot at winning a belt.

Still, he remained a big box-office draw. If he’d committed to Warren or Hearn properly, he probably would’ve picked up a version of a belt between 2017 and pre-Covid, most likely at super-middle - just look at how Saunders ended up a two-weight champion.

Even now, Saunders vs Junior would still sell, and there’d be zero danger of any weight clauses on Chris since Billy is currently the size of a house.

 

Never was near world class, had a few decent wins. Could he have done more? Possibly but a guy that drove his own career trajectory.

Very good talker could sell a fight, made big money, should call it a day, if so gets out with a very healthy bank balance and faculties intact, he would of done better than far better fighters ability wise than himself.

 

I'd argue he absolutely sold his soul and had very little on 'his own terms' for his last 2 fights, of course though not one person wouldn't have done the same for around £16m , obviously he'll lose a large chunk in commission , tax and other 'stuff' he has to pay but other than that he'll be a VERY welcome member of the poker community if he calls it a day in boxing.

 

Had his dads heart and his chin until later in his career.

European level, winning the IBO was about his level to be fair which isnt bad at all.

But props to him he used his dads name to the fullest to make a fortune, he played the hand he was dealt brilliantly.

 

I get what you mean, but the last two fights weren’t “selling his soul.” He wasn’t chasing legacy anymore – all that was left was the Eubank v Benn rivalry, which Conor arguably needed more once the original date collapsed. And by the time those Benn paydays came, Smith, and Groves before him, had already shown his real run at the top was over.

What Junior did do was negotiate hard. He took the rehydration clause because the money made it worth it, he was compensated for it, and he never placated Hearn. Maybe Turki, sure, but the purse was what he negotiated.

Was there any need for the rematch? Not really. But the clause was signed, so it was either take it, retire, or pay Benn to walk away.