Chris Eubank Jr – Has he got what it takes to follow in his father’s footsteps?

By Boxing News - 07/08/2012 - Comments

By Matt McFahn: It’s not every day that a boxer gets his professional debut and all his following bouts televised on a national channel, but the young and clearly talented Eubank is an exception. When boxers begin their pro careers, they don’t make enough money to support themselves from their fights and to make it to the level where they can make a career from the game, they need to win bouts, and even more importantly, do it with flair bringing in the crowds.

Boxers need to grow a fan base for promoters to give them bouts and give them work, one example of this is Manchester’s favourite man, Ricky Hatton. In what was a brilliant promotion tactic, Hatton always entered the ring to Manchester Cities ‘Blue Moon’, and became the fighter the whole City wanted to see.

The legacy of a beloved British fighter such as Chris Eubank being continued through his son has obvious appeal to many British boxing fans, and has been understandably played on by the young Eubank Jr, as he chooses his father’s entrance music, ‘Simply The Best’ by Tina Turner, and the oh so familiar leap over the top ropes is a ritual he has decided to continue.

The name ‘Chris Eubank’ is both a blessing and a curse to the young Eubank. It is the sole reason his professional career has been followed as an undercard attraction on Channel 5.It means he doesn’t need to promote himself as the job is already pretty much done for him, meaning he can more easily focus on what he does best, box. In addition, Eubank Snr is all too aware of the rotten promoters, rigged matches, and the traps young boxers all too often fall into, the result being that they fail to progress in their careers.

With his father sitting in the sidelines to manage Chris Jr’s fledgling career, Eubank has hit the ground running, compiling a very impressive 5-0 record showing his mettle against tough fighters who are much better than most face at this point in their careers. This is a very attractive quality in a young fighter, as the boxing world these days is riddled with cherry picking champions, and talents such as Deontay Wilder, or Tyson Fury who don’t step up to face top quality opposition and let opportunities to develop into champion boxers slip through their fingers. Eubank is very inexperienced, but has proved that he’s in it for the long haul to gain experience and step it up with every fight till he gets to the best of his abilities.

On the other hand, Eubank has huge expectations riding on him, and his career will be constantly critiqued and compared to his father, and he will always fight to get out from under his father’s shadow. Personally, I don’t see why the comparison between father and son should always be made, Eubank Jr is a talent in his own right, he is out there to carve a legacy of his own, not prolong the legacy of his father. The main problem at the moment is that people over-hype the young talent as a future champ. Obviously this is a thought that can come to mind witnessing five impressive victories, but at this point at his career, there’s no telling whether he has what it takes to become a champion. Beating other new pros and beating a world champion is a world apart, and the way Eubank performs in the ring with another young boxer, and the way he performs if he fought for a title would be completely different at this point.

Eubank is a brilliant young boxer, and has taken the perfect steps towards his dream so far, but he will need a lot more small bouts before stepping up into the big leagues. Eubank lacks an extensive amateur career; he compiled 24 wins to only 2 losses during his time as an amateur, on the way earning himself the Nevada State Golden Gloves, Western Regional Golden Gloves, and the 2011 Haringey International Box Cup. This gives him only a total of 31 bouts of experience, so the competition he is currently facing is brilliant. The main source of Chris Jr’s experience and talent has come by the way of his father’s influence, as there have been reports of him sparring with top professionals, such as David Haye, and training with people such as Mayweather Sr. In addition to this, the skill Eubank has shown is a clear reflection of the man’s work ethic and dedication to the sport, which effectively will get him further than anything.

In conclusion, to talk of Eubank becoming a future champion at this stage is a comparison that just can’t be made. There’s every chance that it may happen, but equally it could turn the other way, as many boxers perform well lower in their career but just don’t have the skill at the world level to prevail. All that is certain is that Eubank is a brilliant young boxer at this stage, and although he will continue to challenge himself in his future bouts, I see the next few years being easy competition for Eubank. I wish Eubank the best, and his dedication to his craft ensures he will get the best chance he can get in his future. I’m content to sit back and watch his career unfold as he never fails to provide an entertaining bout, and it’s refreshing to see a bright young talent struggle in hard contests when many others in his place would take the easy challenge. I hope to see him as a great, but it is not something to be rushed; he is a brilliant talent who needs to develop in his own time.

If anyone has missed this new raw talents career start on channel five, check out his YouTube channel where you can find all of his bouts, and watch out for his future, he’s a great young prospect and his bouts always promise excitement as he enters as the underdog.



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