Chris Eubank Jr.

Eubank turned professional in 2011 and signed with promoter Mick Hennessy.[9] He is mentored by his father, and trainer Ronnie Davies who also guided his father. Over the next three years, Eubank amassed a record of 18–0 with 13 knockouts to his name.

On 19 February 2014, Eubank signed a deal to appear on BoxNation, with his first fight being at the York Hall in London on 22 February.[10] Eubank stopped Alistair Warren (0-4-2), after Warren retired on his stool before round 4.[11] Eubank next fought at the Copper Box Arena in London on 12 April against Hungarian boxer Sandor Micsko.[12] Eubank landed a big uppercut in round 2, which dropped Micsko. The referee waved the fight off. In the post-fight, Eubank said, "I'm the next generation. I worked on the uppercut in the gym and I connected beautifully tonight. When I connect with these guys I'm taking them out, no one can stand up to my power and I'll only get better and stronger. I'm ready for a title fight now."[13] On 10 May, at the Olympia in Liverpool, Eubank dropped Polish boxer Robert Swierzbinkski (13-2, 3 KOs) seven times, eventually stopping him in round 7.[14] Eubank was then added to a 7 June card, two days prior to it taking place at Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle. It was said that a win would move Eubank closer to a potential grudge match with Billy Joe Saunders, who was challenging for the vacant European title in July.[15] Czech boxer Štěpán Horváth (12-3, 4 KOs) was his opponent. Eubank dropped Horváth four times, stopping him in round 6. This was Eubank's eighth straight stoppage win.[16]

On the Saunders vs. Blandamura undercard on 26 July at the Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, Eubank stopped Croatian journeyman Ivan Jukic (19-2, 12 KOs) after just 2 minutes and 40 seconds of the opening round.[17]

On 15 September 2014, Frank Warren announced that Eubank would challenge fellow unbeaten British rival Billy Joe Saunders for his British, Commonwealth and European titles on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs. Derek Chisora II on 9 November at the ExCeL arena.[18] The fight was not officially signed as Warren was waiting for Eubank to sign the contract. Warren gave Eubank until 5pm on 25 September.[19] On 3 October the fight was confirmed, but would take place on 29 November instead and would also be a WBO final eliminator.[20][21]

Eubank fought at the Echo Arena on 25 October in a scheduled 8 round fight.[22] Eubank knocked out German boxer Omar Siala in round 2 after a right uppercut.[23]

Eubank lost his unbeaten record when he lost a split decision to Saunders. The bout went the distance, with the experienced Saunders controlling the first six rounds with his footwork, elusive style and technical boxing ability, as Eubank was mostly inactive, with many speculating to him being over cautious due to nervousness and 'stage fright' as it was his first major title bout of his professional career. Regardless, from round seven onward Eubank took control with a much higher punch output, this resulted in the two young boxers brawling and trading hard shots for the rest of the fight. In the twelfth round, Eubank came out gunning for the knockout but was unable to get it. The early inactivity turned out to be the deciding factor as Saunders was victorious, a 115–114, 115-113 and 113-116 winner.[24][25]

On 30 December 2014, Frank Warren announced that Eubank would fight undefeated Russian boxer and WBA interim middleweight champion Dmitry Chudinov (14-0-2, 9 KOs), on 28 February 2015 at The O2 Arena in London on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs. Christian Hammer.[26][27] Eubank scored a 12th-round TKO win over Chudinov and Eubank's efforts earned him the WBA interim middleweight title. At the time of stoppage, Eubank was ahead on all three judges scorecards 106–103, 108–101, 107–102. In round 2, an accidental clash of heads caused a cut above Chudinov's left eye. Eubank spent the rest of the fight landing power shot combinations and breaking Chudinov down. After the win, Eubank sought a rematch with Saunders, "This result is redemption and I'm back. And I want that rematch, Billy Joe Saunders. I'm coming for you." Ultimately however, despite given multiple chances Eubank refused to sign the fight which would have earned him close to £1million.[28][29][30][31]

On 1 April 2015, it was announced that Eubank would finally meet rival Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan in May at the Wembley Arena in London. The fight however did not take place.[32]

After a 2015 that was mostly inactive, Eubank signed to promoter Eddie Hearn under the Matchroom Sport banner.[33] Hearn is the son of Eubank Sr.'s former promoter Barry Hearn. Veteran trainer Adam Booth was added to the team to co-train Eubank.[34]

His first fight following his signing with Matchroom was a bout against American Tony Jeter, making his debut on Sky Sports on 24 October.[35] After knocking Jeter down in the first round, Eubank was able to knock him down twice in the second round before landing a flurry of combinations to Jeter, forcing the referee to stop the fight. Following the bout, Eubank was stripped of the interim WBA middleweight title due to his inactivity since winning it.[36] Eubank then faced Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan in an eliminator to challenge the de jure WBA middleweight champion, Daniel Jacobs.[37]

Talks resurfaced about a potential fight with Irish boxer Gary O'Sullivan to take on 12 December 2015 at the O2 Arena in London on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Dillian Whyte.[38] The fight was well anticipated, as the pair had a history of feuds in the past, with O'Sullivan targeting Eubank on social media. The fight throughout had the pace set by Eubank Jr, however O'Sullivan showed great resilience to Eubank's continuous hard shots, particularly uppercuts. At the end of the 7th round, O'Sullivan's corner retired their fighter, who had sustained a perforated eardrum.[39][40]

Immediately after Eubank defeated O'Sullivan, Hennessey Sports announced that they had won the purse bids and the rights to stage Eubank vs. Nick Blackwell for Blackwell's British middleweight title.[41]

In February 2016, Hennessy Sports announced the fight between Eubank and Blackwell (19-3-1, 8 KOs) would take place on 26 March at the Wembley's SSE Arena in London. The fight was shown live on Channel 5.[42] Eubank dominated the fight to the point that his trainer, father Chris Eubank Sr., began imploring the referee to stop the fight. Following the eighth round, the elder Eubank instructed Eubank to stop hitting Blackwell in the head.[43] The referee finally called a stop to the fight at 2:21 in the 10th round, and awarded Eubank the win, and the title, by TKO.[44][45] Blackwell was taken to hospital with bleeding on the brain, and was placed in a medically-induced coma for treatment.[46] The fight averaged 1.5 million viewers on Channel 5.[47]

After re-signing with Matchroom Sport, it was announced on Sky Sports on 18 May 2016 that Eubank will fight on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Dominic Breazeale at The O2 on 25 June. Tom Doran was announced as Eubank Jr's opponent on 19 May. Eubank had continued to climb up the ladder since joining Matchroom, having achieved a ranking of number two by the WBA and number three by the WBC.[48] Eubank won via 4th-round TKO to retain the British Middleweight title. Doran was down once in the 3rd round and three times in the 4th as the referee waved off the fight. Eubank called out Gennady Golovkin in the post fight interview.[49][50]

It was announced on 12 August, Eubank would make a mandatory defence of his British middleweight title against fellow British and undefeated Commonwealth and WBO Inter-Continental middleweight champion Tommy Langford after promoter Frank Warren won a purse bid to stage the fight.[51] Eubank, however, relinquished the title in September after suffering an injury in sparring.[52]

Throughout 2016, Eubank made it clear that he wanted to challenge undefeated unified middleweight champion Gennady Golvokin.[53] A potential fight which could see Eubank earn up to £6 million, was only being held up by Sky, who would broadcast the fight on PPV. Eubank Sr. wanted his son to earn a bigger share, due to the risk of fighting a big puncher.[54][55] By July, Golovkin had signed his end of the deal, only waiting on Eubank.[56] On 8 July, Eddie Hearn offered the deal to then-IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook, who took the deal to fight Golovkin on 10 September.[57] Eubank immediately hit out at critics stating he had never been presented with the fight contract.[58] Boxers including Tommy Langford, Martin Murray, Curtis Stevens began calling out Eubank.[59][60]

On 13 December 2016, Eubank announced via his Facebook page that he would be making his debut in the super-middleweight division on ITV Box Office. The last time ITV showed live boxing was in July 2015, when Carl Frampton defended his IBF super-bantamweight title against Alejandro Gonzalez Jr. In the same post, stated he would be fighting 27 year old Australian boxer Renold Quinlan (11-1, 7 KOs) for his IBO super-middleweight title. Quinlan won the then-vacant IBO title defeating former world champion Daniel Geale in October via knockout in round two. The date of the fight was confirmed to be 4 February 2017 with the venue being at the Lee Valley VeloPark, Olympic Park, in London.[61][62][63][64]

Following the announcement of the fight, jnr hit back at fans on social media who claimed the IBO belt isn't a 'real world title', "That title has been held by some of the greatest champions in recent boxing history and it’s currently held by Gennady Golovkin, at middleweight. You can’t tell me anything, it’s a legitimate world title." He also stated his move to super-middleweight was not permanent. He saw an opportunity to fight for a world title and took it. If he can win the world title, then he will negotiate with other champions.[65][66][67]

Despite having not previously fought at super-middleweight, the December WBC ranking update had Eubank at number seven, previously being number two at middleweight.[68] On 6 January 2017, Quinlan threatened to walk away from the fight. The reason being there was little to no promotion, with the fight being only weeks away. he stated the build up has not been enough to promote the biggest fight of his career, "It’s only a few weeks away and I've got the feeling that it’s going to be delayed. There’s been no media around it and it’s not getting the exposure it should be. I've been training well but I’m not 100 per cent focused now. I have a feeling it's going to get pulled."[69][70]

On fight night, Eubank stopped Quinlan in round 10 in a fairly one-sided fight to win the IBO super-middleweight title. The fight was stopped by referee Howard John Foster, 2 minutes and 7 seconds of round 10 after seeing Quinlan backed up against the ropes being hit with continuous head shots.[71] After a steady start, Eubank started taking control in the fifth round when he started using his speed advantage over Quinlan. After the fight was stopped, Eubank stood on the ropes in the corner in his trademark stance. In the post-fight interview, he gave credit to Quinlan, describing him as a tough fighter, "It was like hitting concrete. Big respect to Renold Quinlan. He flew halfway around the world to defend his title against one of the best in the world. He didn't have to do that." Eubank claimed that he was comfortable making 160 and 168 pounds and wanted to fight Golovkin, Saunders or DeGale next.[72][73]

Reports suggested on 1 June 2017 that Eubank would make his ring return in July 2017 defending his IBO super middleweight title against former multiple weight world champion Arthur Abraham (46-5, 30 KOs) in London. It is believed that Eubank was offered in the region of £3 million.[74] The two potential dates discussed were 15 and 22 July. At the time the fight was being discussed, Abraham was the mandatory challenger to the WBO title, held by Gilberto Ramirez, who defeated Abraham in April 2015.[75] It would be regarded as Eubanks' biggest fight since his loss to Saunders in 2014. On 5 June, it was confirmed that the fight would take place at the Wembley Arena on 15 July and televised on ITV Box Office.[76] The official press announcement was scheduled to take place on 7 June.[77] At the weigh in, Abraham weighed 12st 1lb 5oz, which was 1lb 13oz over the limit. He was given two hours to lose the extra weight. Eubank weighed inside the limit at 11st 13lb 3oz. It was said that if Abraham couldn't make weight a second time, the fight would still take place in a non-title fight. Abraham made weight on the third attempt.[78]

Eubank won via a unanimous decision with the scorecards 120–108, 120-108 and 118–110. Abraham had little to offer, mostly in defence mode as Eubank out landed and outpointed him. The last time Eubank went the 12 round distance was his split decision loss to Saunders in November 2014, and the last time he won a fight on points was on his 8th professional fight in December 2012. Eubank landed staggering uppercuts throughout the fight, many single and some in combinations, with Abraham only managing to connect a few shots clean, but left little to no damage.[79]

Eubank spoke of Abraham's performance, "He's definitely the most durable opponent I've faced. I hit him with every shot in the book. He didn't win a round and I'm happy with the performance." With the win, Eubank advanced into the World Boxing Super Series, where he could potentially meet WBA 'super' champion George Groves in the semi-finals.[80][81]

On 7 July 2017, the World Boxing Super Series announced the winner of Abraham and Eubank would be taking part in the super-middleweight knockout tournament.[82]

At the Draft Gala in Monte Carlo on 8 July, Chris Eubank Sr., who represented both Abraham and Eubank picked undefeated Turkish contender Avni Yildirim (16-0, 10 KOs).[83] The fight was confirmed following Eubank's lop-sided win over Abraham. Promoter Kalle Sauerland said official confirmation of a venue and date would be announced in the coming weeks.[79] On 8 August, it was announced that the fight would take place on 7 October at the Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart, Germany, marking it the second time Eubank would be fighting outside the UK since turning professional.[84] Eubank used his hand speed and power shots to stop Yildirim in round 3 of their fight to confirm his place in the semi finals of the tournament. Yildirim was forced to take a knee in the opening round when Eubank landed a big uppercut. Yildirim wasn't hard to hit as he lent forward whilst attacking. The fight came to an end after a flurry of shots, which were unanswered and the final punch was a left to the head which again dropped Yildirim. Referee Leszek Jankowiak stopped the fight without counting, whilst Yildirim attempted to get up. Some of the media and pundits felt the stoppage was premature and Yildirim was recovering, however some felt as though he had taken too many blows to the head. At ringside after the fight, Eubank Jr told ITV, "I am here to dominate this tournament. I am sending a message out there that I am coming." Eubank landed 59 of 201 punches thrown (29%), whilst Yildirim landed 23 of 91 thrown (25%).[85][86] Before the fight, a big brawl broke out in the crowd.[87][88]

Due to winning their respective bouts in October 2017, Eubank and George Groves (27-3, 20 KOs) were due to meet in the semi final of the tournament. At first, promoter Kalle Sauerland stated he would try to book the fight for a stadium in either London or Manchester. In November 2017, ITV reported the fight was set to take place on 17 February 2018 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, Europe's largest purpose-built indoor arena. The winner of the fight would earn his place in the final of the tournament as well as walk out with the WBA (Super) and IBO super-middleweight titles.[89][90][91] Tickets for the fight sold out in seven minutes.[92] Groves weighed 167 pounds, a full pound under the weight limit and Eubank came in at 167.5 pounds.[93]

Groves secured his place in the final of the tournament after defeating Eubank over 12 rounds. The judges scored the fight 117–112, 116-112 and 115-113 for Groves. Groves, the bigger man in the ring, used his jab to control the fight after a cagey round and mostly fought on the back foot, occasionally landing the big shot. An accidental clash of heads caused Eubank to receive a cut on the side of his right eye in round 3. The big cut was dealt with by his corner after the round, but as the fight went on to the later rounds, blood was seen flowing expeditiously. The fight was riddled with a lot of clinches and unclean punches from both boxers. Groves retained his WBA title but did not claim Eubank's IBO title as he did not pay their sanctioning fees. Groves also suffered a dislocated shoulder in round 12. It was said that Groves weighed around 184 pounds on fight night.[94]

After the fight, Groves said, "It was about who wanted it most, I think, and I obviously wanted it most. The jab was landing correctly all night. When he had success, it was because I did something wrong. He was strong, he was aggressive, but that obviously wasn’t enough tonight." Eubank replied, "I thought it was close. I thought I did enough in the later rounds to win the fight, but it was a close fight. And all credit to George. You know, this is all part of boxing. You win some and you lose some. Hopefully we can get a rematch. It was enough of a good fight to have another one."[95][96] Punch stats showed that Groves landed 117 of 398 punches thrown (29%) and Eubank landed 92 of his 421 thrown (22%). Many pundits and former boxers stated Eubank should move forward and hire a trainer.[97][98][99][100] Both boxers earned a base purse of £1.5 million, which could increase due to sponsorship and PPV sales.[101] Four days after the fight it was revealed Groves didn't fight for the IBO belt after failing to agree on sanctioning fees with the IBO's president Ed Levine.[102]

On 9 May, Kalle Sauerland explained that Groves could potentially be replaced by Eubank Jr. in the final of the tournament against Smith, however there would be confirmation on the final in the next 10 days. Sauerland stated, "We're working at the moment on all the solutions and scenarios, where George [Groves] is fit and where he isn't. We’re hopeful [Groves will be fit], so we’ll see. You can’t start the tournament and then have the final lingering into the next tournament. I’m sorry, that’s not going to happen. We can push a month, but we can’t push it back by three or four months. We have a substitute system. We said that from day one, and that’s the situation. We want Groves in the final, but if that’s not possible and he doesn't declare himself fit in the next 10 days, we have to find a solution."[103][104]

On 17 September, Sauerland announced that Eubank would fight Irish boxer JJ McDonagh (16-4, 8 KOs) on the George Groves vs Callum Smith undercard on 28 September at The Indoor Sports Hall at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.[105][106] Eubank won the fight via corner retirement. McDonagh chose to stay on his stool after round 3, complaining of a shoulder injury. The crowd booed the stoppage after an entertaining round 3. McDonagh was knocked down in the opening round from a left hand to the head. In round 3, Eubank began to land a lot of shots on McDonagh. McDonagh was willing to stand and trade with Eubank. The high work rate from Eubank eventually backed McDonagh off. Eubank was not convinced McDonagh injured his shoulder and only took the fight on short notice for a payday. A fight nearly broke out when McDonagh heard Eubank's comments.[107][108][109]

On 3 January 2019, an official press conference took place to announce the James DeGale vs. Chris Eubank Jr. grudge match, which would take place on 23 February at The O2 Arena in London, exclusively on ITV Box Office, as part of ITV's new deal with Haymon Sports’ Premier Boxing Champions. The rivalry between DeGale (25-2-1, 15 KOs) and Eubank began a few years ago, after a series of run-ins, from sparring one another in the gym to trading verbal insults across social media. Serious talks around the fight first began in July 2018 after DeGale vacated his IBF super-middleweight title.[110] The last time DeGale fought a fellow British boxer, was the majority decision loss to George Groves in May 2011.[111][112] The fight was originally slated to take place in December 2018, however a deal had yet to be agreed. The possibility of the fight was first announced in November 2018 with PBC's plans to 'Invade UK Market', it was then stated a pay-per-view bout would be imminent.[113][114] Eubank revealed he had been training in Las Vegas at the Mayweather Boxing Club alongside former boxer Nate Vasquez, who trains boxers and MMA fighters. Eubank said, "Instead of me going through the motions and trying to beat guys using heart and determination. Now we have strategy involved. This is going to take me to the next level."[115] International Boxing Organization president Ed Levine confirmed their super-middleweight title would be at stake.[116]

On 23 February, Chris Eubank Jr. defeated James DeGale by Unanimous Decision. The scorecards read 114–112, 115-112 and 117-109 for Eubank Jr. DeGale suffered knocked downs in round 2 and round 10 after Eubank Jr. barraged him with series of blows.