By Frank Warren
Chris Eubank has been called many things in his time, from prat to poseur. I was adding a few choice epithets of my own this week when he and his son again failed to show up for a scheduled and contracted London press conference to publicise the forthcoming British and European middleweight title fight – now a WBO world title eliminator between Chris jnr and Billy Joe Saunders.
Billy Joe flew in from his training camp in Marbella but Team Eubank declined to travel the 50-odd miles from Brighton, saying they feared Saunders might act ‘unprofessionally’ and give Chris Jnr. a slap. Eubank had demanded £50,000 put into an escrow’ to guarantee that Saunders “would not" put his hands "on my son.”
How pathetic. This will be a terrific fight when it happens but so far all that Papa Eubank has brought to the table is ridiculous aggro.
Chris Snr. has admitted he is living his life vicariously through his number one son but it is about time he realised the lad’s career is not about him and his bullshine.
He’s had his day and should let his Son now have his.
He says Chris Jnr. is the saviour of boxing as he believes he himself was 20 years ago. But the sport didn’t fall on its backside when he was no longer around. In fact, it has flourished.
I fear he could suffocate his son’s career with his constant and irrational interference.
We are all getting tired of him pontificating and telling everyone what the sport should be about and how people should behave.
He witters on about ‘professionalism’ --this from someone who was fined £10,000 by the Board of Control for head-butting an opponent.
And where was his professionalism during the London Olympics when, as coach to the one-man Angolan boxing team he forgot the time of the weigh-in, getting his only charge, heavyweight Tumba Silva, disqualified without throwing a punch.
The furious Angolan chef-de-mission described him as “that plonker of a coach.’ Another p-word to add to the Eubank lexicon.