By Charles Brun: Former super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler says he wants to see Canelo Alvarez face Chris Eubank Jr. because he thinks that would be an interesting match,
Kessler, who has been retired since 2013, doesn’t think the 33-year-old Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KOs) would beat Canelo. He believes it would be a good fight.
There are numerous problems that make it impossible for Eubank Jr. to get a title shot against undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo, and they are as follows:
- Not well known by U.S. fans
- Unranked at 168
- Poor resume
- Limited talent
If Eubank Jr. had been fighting top-level opposition during his career, won World titles, and was well-known by casual boxing fans in the States, he would have had a chance of facing Canelo.
Unfortunately, Eubank Jr. is a textbook example of an underachiever, a guy who has been content fighting British & European-level opposition rather than world-class fighters.
Eubank Jr. has made good money, thanks to being the son of the former world champion Chris Eubank, but he’s done nothing with his career to earn a fight with someone like Canelo or even Geennadiy Golovkin.
Eubank Jr., a guy who has fought mainly on the domestic level circuit throughout his 12-year career, defeated an injured, weight-drained 35-year-old Liam Smith by a tenth round TKO last Saturday night in their rematch in Manchester.
“What about Chris Eubank? I’d like to see Chris Eubank against him,” said Mikkel Kessler to ProBox TV about wanting Canelo Alvarez to face British fighter Chris Eubank Jr.
Kessler might want Canelo to give Eubank Jr. a handout, but Americans don’t want to see that trash fight.
Let Eubank Jr. earn the fight with Canelo by winning a world title at 160 first against WBO middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly or WBA champ Erislandy Lara.
Then if Eubank Jr. is successful, move up to 168 and face David Benavidez & David Morrell Jr. He’s obviously not going to do anything of those things.
Eubank Jr. will likely face welterweight Conor Benn next, and if he wins that, he could fight retired Kell Brook.
“Not that I think Chris Eubank has a chance, but I would like to see that fight because I like Chris Eubank when he fights. He’s not a boring fighter. Always something happens,” said Kessler.
“Maybe he loses some fights and hasn’t shown us his real powers yet. He’s an intelligent fighter, so I’d like to see him against [Alvarez]. It could be a great fight.”
