By Elliot Foster
Chris Eubank Jr. has claimed that George Groves is jealous of him –– and has vowed to send him into retirement –– as they build up to their showdown this weekend.
The once-defeated next generation fighter, from Brighton, sat alongside the WBA Super world champion on Wednesday in Manchester at the final press conference for the World Boxing Super Series semi-final.
Groves’ belt will be at stake, along with Eubank Jr.’s IBO trinket, at the Manchester Arena on Saturday (February 17), exclusively live on ITV Box Office in the UK.
But Junior, who lost his unbeaten record at the hands of Billy Joe Saunders back in November 2014, has said that ‘The Saint’ wants to be like him.
“I think George Groves wants to be me,” Eubank Jr., 28, told media at the Crowne Plaza gathering.
“You want to be Insta-famous like me,” he continued to tell Hammersmith’s 29-year-old Groves. “You're wearing the same suit I wore when we had our first face-off, you want all the social media followers and you want to be as good as me. You're jealous.”
Groves, in response, called Eubank Jr. “a cliché and a gimmick” before quipping that he was “flapping already.”
Eubank Jr. has long awaited an opportunity to breakout and has described the fight against Groves, which –– should he win –– will see him back in the ring at the O2 Arena in London on June 2, as the biggest of his career to date.
“This is the fight that can propel me to the top of the sport, a defining one, and George is just the first one to bite the dust before I go after all the belts.
“I haven’t focused on defeat and am not worried about George and his emotions. He knows how to lose and get knocked out, I don’t and never have. He’ll take it in his stride and enjoy himself in retirement and I’m going to help him buy the boat.
“His trainer [Shane McGuigan] has one job on fight night and that is to have that white towel ready at all times.”