By Mark Havey: European super-middleweight champion James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr have engaged in a war of words this week. Both men will be fighting on the same bill this week but DeGale has said “our rivalry is all in his head”. Both have said they got the better of the other in sparring. Does it matter? Not really. Sparring is sparring and the winner would have depended on their stages of fitness.

DeGale told the Daily Star “I got the impression that him and his dad live on a different planet. He jumped over the ropes and into the ring where I was working. I told him to get out of the ring and he didn’t like it. He behaves stupid and is rude and disrespectful and lives off his dad’s reputation”

I wouldn’t say that I am a huge fan of either of them. They both talk too much and only back it up against mediocre opponents. I can’t see either dominating a weight class, especially at super middleweight. But I would pick DeGale over Eubank Jr. The former does live off his Famous Father’s reputation and is already conceited enough to turn his fans away. A conceited attitude usually comes at national or international level, if it comes at all. But I must give Chris Eubank some credit. He has anticipated his future and played his cards flawlessly. There wasn’t a rivalry, but there is now. Eubank is promoted by Hennessy, the same man DeGale has signed with. A future fight is very likely and wouldn’t have been to big. Even if Eubank is making it all up in his head, he has suddenly turned it into a big British clash. And I’m sure both men haven’t finished talking.