Eubank Jr: Saunders is Starving and I'm The Food, He Needs Me

By Edward Chaykovsky

IBO super  middleweight champion Chris Eubank Jr. (24-1, 19 KOs) is gunning to avenge the only defeat of his pro career, a close split decision loss to Billy Joe Saunders (24-0, 12 KOs) in November of 2014.

Since then Eubank Jr. has won six in a row - all by knockout. He returned back to the ring last Saturday night in London, when he moved up to the super middleweight division to stop Renold Quinlan for the IBO belt.

Eubank is not permanently stepping away from the middleweight division. He plans to pursue every big name at 160 and 168.

Saunders, who holds the WBO middleweight title, is likely not interested. He, along with his promoter Frank Warren, claim to have sent several rematch offers that were ignored by Eubank.

Due to injuries and other delays, Saunders has only been in the ring three times since beating Eubank and he's only made a single defense of the title he won from Andy Lee in December 2015.

"I know Saunders is starving as well -- no fans, fighting in leisure centres in front of 300 people. He needs to fight and we all want that fight, me more than anybody. Saunders is starving and I'm the food. Without me he hasn't got anything. The only thing he has is a win over me; that's his entire career, and I need to right that wrong," Eubank said.

Father and trainer, Chris Eubank Sr., would prefer to have his son face Olympic gold medal winner James DeGale, who carries the IBF super middleweight championship around his waist.

They would be willing to fight DeGale as early as April.

"We want to be back out as early as April. If we can make this fight with James DeGale, that we shall do. By April we will be ready to go again. If he's not ready by April, don't worry, we will wait. We will give him a few more weeks, but there is no escape. We have been marinading him. I can smell it," Eubank Sr. said.