http://sportingbalance.blogspot.com/2011/10/simply-best-exclusive-interview-with.html Chris Eubank is still one of the most respected and talked about fighters in boxing since his retirement. What makes Eubank unique is his style, from his style of talking to his style of fighting in the ring; he had the showmanship of a true entertainer, with a hint of arrogance. From his tragic fight with Michael Watson to his greatest crowning moment beating Nigel Benn in a brutally barbaric encounter. In the ring he is a violent fearless warrior. Out of the ring he is articulate and reflective. Eubanks early life gives an insight into what makes him such a character. As a boy he was often fighting, not against the smaller kids, instead he handed out beatings to the bullies resulting in often getting expelled. At the age of just 16 he was sent to New York to live in one of the most dangerous districts, the Bronx. His life had reached a crossroads; he could have either got drawn into a life of drugs and crime like many young men in the Bronx, or follow in the footsteps of his brothers and get involved in boxing. Reliving old rivalries When people look back on his career, they remember his two legendary fights with Benn. Rivalries are often made by boxers to sell fights; this one was the real deal. Eubank always saw himself as light, whilst Nigel Benns famous nickname was the dark destroyer. Eubank was a boxer, whilst Benn was a Brawler; the two fighters couldnt have been more different in terms of how they behaved and how they fought. Benn used his hatred of Eubank as his main motivation. Eubank was more diplomatic and never got drawn into the hate that Benn had for him. Eubank just saw his motivation as the WBO belt that Benn held at the time. My relationship with Nigel Benn from my perspective is as follows, we gave each other a severe beating and there was nothing personal from my view as I was and am of the view that I could hold no animosity towards him as I did not know him. Eubank comes across as having a lot of respect for Benn. In his accomplished career he faced world class fighters like Joe Calzaghe, Carl Thompson, Steve Collins and Michael Watson but he still credits Nigel Benn as being his hardest opponent in the ring because of what Eubank said was his fiercely intimidating aura and dynamite punching power and ability. Nigel Benn always felt hard done by in both fights. The first fight was controversially stopped and people thought Benn could have continued. Whilst the second fight was declared a draw, a decision which still gets hotly debated by boxing fans. Eubank has had the edge over Benn in those two fights and Benn has never got over not beating his biggest rival. Even after both fighters had retired Benn sought revenge. In 2004, I took part in what was supposed to be a light TV show called Gladiator, where Nigel and I went to Italy to learn how to live like Spartans of Roman times to learn and lightly compete in a set of competitions to do with sword, mace, net and other fighting disciplines. It was at this juncture I understood that rivalry will always be at hand where we are concerned, as the indignity I suffered at the hands, fists and maniacal measureless ferocity of a man foaming at the corners of his mouth for revenge was overwhelming On the face of it the fight between Eubank and Benn was just an intense rivalry. However Eubank knows it was something far deeper than that. The two fighters will be forever linked with one another because of their fights This was a contest of two Alpha males trying to win supremacy over the other. So in my view I see him as a man who is closer than what a friend is respectively speaking as he and I shared honor in battling against one another, I drew blood from him and he from me, I smelled the blood on his breath when we were in a clinch. I felt his strength when we wrestled in the clinches, when our shins exploded against each others and the bitter pain was masked by the adrenalin when we surged forward at the same time to attack, we instinctively won a profound depth of admiration for each other which is very difficult to articulate. In short, we may not talk but we are probably closer to each other than anyone else could ever be excluding Mother, Father and Children.
I don't think there is a month that goes by, that Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank don't think about each other. When they are laying in bed at night, i bet even today Nigel Benn imagines what would of happened if he had beaten Chris Eubank in there first match up. Chris Eubank summed it up, with that last quote. “I felt his strength when we wrestled in the clinches, when our shins exploded against each other’s and the bitter pain was masked by the adrenalin when we surged forward at the same time to attack, we instinctively won a profound depth of admiration for each other which is very difficult to articulate. In short, we may not talk but we are probably closer to each other than anyone else could ever be excluding Mother, Father and Children”.
Sometimes he talks utter shite but sometimes he gets your juices going and the blood flowing! “This was a contest of two Alpha males trying to win supremacy over the other. So in my view I see him as a man who is closer than what a friend is respectively speaking as he and I shared honor in battling against one another, I drew blood from him and he from me, I smelled the blood on his breath when we were in a clinch.” “I felt his strength when we wrestled in the clinches, when our shins exploded against each other’s and the bitter pain was masked by the adrenalin when we surged forward at the same time to attack, we instinctively won a profound depth of admiration for each other which is very difficult to articulate. In short, we may not talk but we are probably closer to each other than anyone else could ever be excluding Mother, Father and Children”.
Chris does talk some shite at times, but when he is caught in the right frame of mind he talks very well about anything imo.
