Eu can Bank on it..

JUYJUY20y ago

Chris Eubank quotes from a recent interview.. "There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about" He proudly declares to have done "2,500 media interviews", including "the Jonathan Ross show five times in one year" "I began my career in America but I was wary about fighting there later in my career because it was a real jungle out there, everyone fighting damn hard for the top. I was content to stay a big fish in a small pond and make my money in the UK" "When Autumn 1997 was on the scene, I was going to move to America for a few years to finish my career as a light-heavyweight which was my natural weight then. I was going to try to get a lot of fights under my belt and steadily climb the rankings. At the time you had that guy Roy Jones head and shoulders above the rest. But when I got instant opportunites to fight for world titles again in England, due to my fame in England, even though those opportunities weren't in my natural weight class then I couldn't turn them down. I knew that that was an easier route, that if I won a world title again then I'd be giving that guy Roy Jones something to fight for. I knew there was some money in a Roy Jones Vs Chris Eubank fight around that time because of my character, but most of all I desperately wanted attention again!" "I'm a shameless attention-seeker and narcissist: I proudly admit to watching videos of myself boxing for hours on end" "I haven't seen anybody I wouldn't of been able to beat at my peak, show me somebody who would of beaten me at my peak" "I was the best boxer in the business, I have video evidence to prove it" "Pernell (Whitaker) was poetic, and if Pernell could punch he'd of been the best thing since sliced bread. But I'd of still beaten him because a little good one finds it very difficult to beat a good big one, thats the dynamics of boxing" "People always seem to think that my most important win was Nigel Benn 1990, that my toughest fight was Nigel Benn 1990, that my best win was Nigel Benn 1990, that my most complete performance was Nigel Benn 1990. None of that is true" His most important win: "Anthony Logan. He was world-class and I was just a novice at the time" His toughest fight: "Michael Watson the second time around. Michael completely changed his boxing style for our rematch and it caught me off, it would of caught anybody off. Michael was usually very cautious, very defensive, a counter puncher. But when we fought our rematch, he just attacked me with endless sharp clusters which he had never done before. He forced me to go the trenches. He certainly punched much harder at 12 stone. Nobody would of beaten him that night apart from me, he was onto something. But how I managed to get the win, though tragic, when I pulled it out of the bag I am sure people thought that I was unbeatable at that point" His best win: "I fought a German who was 35-0, he was 6'3" and a southpaw. I went over there and licked him around the ring in his own backyard. That was my best win. That, and the Benn first fight" His most complete performance: "Wharton. I was at my most experienced while still undefeated, still not having been robbed at Mill Street. I felt good in there" His unsuprising choice of boxing idol is Muhammad Ali. "the warrior is a creature of irony, for his role is to protect the community" "I haven't fought illegally for 23 years now" Asked why he never fought Roy Jones Jr "I was a world champion in my own right, just like Roy Jones was a world champion in his own right" Asked what was the closest he came to fighting Jones Jr "We had a date and a venue to fight eachother, but we are both guilty for the fight not happening because we both decided to defend our world championship instead" Asked what was the date and venue for Eubank and Jones Jr to fight: "March 1995, G-Mex Leisure Centre, Steele to referee" "That guy Roy Jones needed me much more than I needed him. He wanted to be wrote into the history books otherwise he wouldn't still be fighting. I know he's smart because he didn't fight me when easily he could of, and that's smart, and no smart person continues fighting so long unless they want to be wrote into the history books. So if he wanted to be wrote into the history books, he should of fought the best around and that was yours truly. For me, boxing is barbaric and I couldn't care less about being remembered in that barbaric sport. So that guy Roy Jones needed me much more than I needed him" "I've said it once and I'll say it again: boxing is a mugs game" "I was only in it for the money" He has notably little interest in boxing as a sport (he is hesitant over placing Roy Jones Jr in the pantheon of greats because "I don't know my boxing history well enough") Asked about Roy Jones challenging him in 1991 "I don't really watch boxing, but I've heard that guy Roy Jones is getting knocked out all the time these days and if thats the case then he must have a brittle jaw. So would he of lasted 36 minutes with yours truly without, at some point, being left unconscious on the ring canvas? You have to be realistic. I'd of used my punch to keep my championship and grab my money for the night. You have to remember that I didn't lose my punch until after the Michael Watson incident" Asked why he never accepted Mike McCallum's challenge for a unification in 1991 "What did he bring? I really saw no logical reason to risk being stopped late and losing my championship for such small money. I had to think of my family. I don't think McCallum was in my class, but I had to think of my family" Asked why he never fought James Toney "Toney, yes. He was calling me out for years, that one. But you have to be able to walk the walk as well as talk the talk, you have to be able to put enough money on the table" "There has never been better champion material than me, not that I know of. If there has ever been better champion material than me then what was it, who was it?" Who does he think is the best boxer in the world today? "Well I can't tell you to be fair, because I'm not really interested in boxing and I don't think I ever have been. But that kid Floyd Mayweather was head and shoulders above the rest when I used to watch him. I watched out for him because he was a potential opponent for Naseem, I watched out for him for Naz" He dismisses all critics as "weak" "First round wins are just headlines - substance is more important" He admits that he was "poetry in motion" in only 15 of his 52 ring appearances. He also admits that he was "in the zone" in only one of his 52 ring appearances. "I stole Benn's soul" Asked what went wrong at the end of his career when he lost his last five world championship fights, he said "Everybody knows what happened at Mill Street and the diabolical tactics used beforehand. After that, it was all weight problems, injuries and lack of preparation and what not" Joe Calzaghe, meanwhile, draws a cold response when his name is brought up; Eubank says little other than that he "lacks charisma". http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/271/chriseubank20050wd.jpg

Comments (20)

EXIGE

The truth is that Eubank loved boxing, it was in his blood. He loved the philosophy and the art of boxing, mastering every punch and learning the craft took him years and years worth of training. However, he disliked the actual businnes of boxing. On how fighters were used and eventually disgarded by promoters, abit like puppets. Although it always seemed that Eubank was the soul of the party, he was pretty much a loner through out his life because he moved around so much. Now his wife has left him, and he has no friends. Chris won't want to admit that he loves boxing because of the fake image he created of strong moral values and silver spoon sucking. but the truth is that Chris loves boxing, you can tell that Chris still watches boxing just in that interview because he knows about RJ, Mayweather, Calzaghe, etc, you can tell that he is pretending he doesnt like boxing when secretly he does, Chris created that image of pompous English gentleman because he always craved attention and respect when he was growing up, he is from the streets and mental institututes, he is not from the silver spoon it is an act, he was homeless for years as a kid and comes from humble beginnings. Dude, you know your stuff when it comes to Chris Eubank. You and JuyJuy (another member) will get on well. :cool:

20y ago

JUYJUY

As if Eubank needed a bodyguard :)

20y ago

theclawoftheTiger

I've not got in on the Eubank/JuyJuy threads yet so here's my take on him! I went to the Eubank/Thronton fight here in 1992 I think it was and before he had a public training session that I went to, one thing about the guy is he had fucking presence, it's hard to explain but when he walked in a hush came over the room and all eyes were on him (I know we were there to see him but you know what I mean!) The guy really worked his ass off and had some very lively sparring with Chris Pyatt (Ronnie Davies had to tell Eubank to take it easy a couple of times.) He did a question & answer bit after the workout and seemed like a really sound guy to me. At the fight I was a mile away from the ring but I did manage to get a good photo of Eubank on his ring entrance, jutting jaw and all :D I remember when Chris came to Birmingham in 1992 the first time since Benn fight and there was definately a prescence .. his public workout was shown on regional news and people were cramming into the gym to see him and as soon as they laid eyes on him they'd kind of go silent and they'd stop dead, even when he was walking down the street with his bodyguards, monocle and cane peoples eyes were wide open and pulses slowing down just watching him pass .. weird ..

20y ago

JUYJUY

Eubank fucking awesome fighter, sorry but he was. He was just good as fuck, so sharp at moving in and out of range, such a good mover, and such hand speed too.

20y ago

barryboy

Did you go to Eubank's other fight in Glasgow by any chance? I can't remember who it was against but it was a few fights after Thornton. And man, I remember Thornton could barely lay a glove on Eubank. Nah I didn't go to that, I think it was Ray Close though. Your right Thornton couldn't do much with him, he was very one dimensional & pedestrian, apart from his big right hand he didn't offer much.

20y ago

JUYJUY

20y ago

JUYJUY

Is it this guy? http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=003863 It looks like we've found our man!

20y ago

Jarlaxle

I'd like to see this Dennis Cruz guy, anybody ever heard of him? :o Is it this guy? http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=003863

20y ago

JUYJUY

Not quite sure mate, but he definately was in Eubank's entourage for that fight. Like I've said, Eubank could of been fighter of the decade. It's such a shame, but he did his thing and he was a one-off and fair play to the guy. He was a pugilist like none before him and there will never be another Eubank!

20y ago

barryboy

Yeah Eubank was one of the first guys I really liked when I first started watching boxing seriously and always wanted him to win, loved the ring entrance as well (simply the best is also a Glasgow Rangers song so that went down a treat!))people found him cocky and arrogant but like Naz i just thought he was funny. I wish he hadn't held the WBO though because most of those mandatories were dire, he was wasted on guys like Mauricio Amaral, Dan Schommer & another couple. It's old news now but I still feel he was burned out by the time he fought Collins the first time cos he was doing that deal with sky where he had to have so many fights in 12 months and he was just stale. I didn't know that about Harrison being in the camp, how did that come about?

20y ago

JUYJUY

I've not got in on the Eubank/JuyJuy threads yet so here's my take on him! I went to the Eubank/Thronton fight here in 1992 I think it was and before he had a public training session that I went to, one thing about the guy is he had fucking presence, it's hard to explain but when he walked in a hush came over the room and all eyes were on him (I know we were there to see him but you know what I mean!) The guy really worked his ass off and had some very lively sparring with Chris Pyatt (Ronnie Davies had to tell Eubank to take it easy a couple of times.) He did a question & answer bit after the workout and seemed like a really sound guy to me. At the fight I was a mile away from the ring but I did manage to get a good photo of Eubank on his ring entrance, jutting jaw and all :D Great stuff mate, the man definately had a presence about him and you have to say a sense of invincibility as well. You had to of lived in that era to realise, when he was UNDEFEATED for so long (43 fights to be exact) it seemed as if he would never lose a boxing match because he had come close in the past to losing but always found a way to keep his '0'. From 1988 to 1995, you wondered if the guy was beatable! It was kind of the same routine every time.. "Simply The Best" jumps the ropes and poses and struts and keeps his '0'. By the way mate, I bet you didn't know that Scott Harrison was a part of Eubank's entourage when he fought Tony Thornton in Glasgow.

20y ago

barryboy

20y ago

JUYJUY

some people may even call him a sell out, the transformation appears to be that great. Notice i say appears, i think its all a major act, no caneras just normal people around him and i bet hes the same as the rest of us, just slightly richer :D When i met him he certainly appeared pleased, relieved and humbled that people had come out to show love and when a person told him a sad story about his son who had died eubank looked genuinly moved by what this person was telling him. My wife and I walked away very pleased that night cos he came across as 'a normal bloke' and very likable as hard as that may be to believe Chris definately has a heart, there's no doubt about that. He seems to be a joker all the time, but he does hit into serious mode when it comes to his charity work.

20y ago

JUYJUY

I am actually a big Eubank fan. Watched his fights on TV and although lazy at times and didn't use his full potential he was great at times. I went to his lst fight, front tickets in Shefield and even though out of his weight class and past his best, he still was a class performer when he had to be. Had the referee given him one more round that he was pleading for, he could of stopped Thompson. A one-eyed hitter is dangerous.

20y ago

Kimmy

20y ago

JUYJUY

JuyJuy please keep posting the eubank stuff. I love watching people try and argue with you. Brings a smile to my face every time. No problem.

20y ago

TheBlackWallStreet

JuyJuy please keep posting the eubank stuff. I love watching people try and argue with you. Brings a smile to my face every time.

20y ago

theironone

20y ago

theclawoftheTiger

CHRIS EUBANK makes his comeback on Saturday in Cairo, Egypt in the Light Heavyweight division against unknown Argentinian Barerra (who has lost all of his last four fights). Eubank, who retired last year after losing twice to WBO Super Middleweight champion Steve Collins, has entered patnership with Egyptian businessmen and is co-promoting his fights with them. He plans on fighting Roy Jones and James Toney in the near future and his next fight after the 19th is already being planned for EuroDisney in Paris!!! http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/britnews.htm At a press conference in 1996 below is what RJjnr said "Chris gets nothing from me, when I was coming up trying to make a name for myself he wouldn't give me a shot, oh but now he's at the end of his career he thinks he can make some money off Roy?? I dont think so" - RJjnr

20y ago

JUYJUY

The truth is that Eubank loved boxing, it was in his blood. He loved the philosophy and the art of boxing, mastering every punch and learning the craft took him years and years worth of training. However, he disliked the actual businnes of boxing. On how fighters were used and eventually disgarded by promoters, abit like puppets. Although it always seemed that Eubank was the soul of the party, he was pretty much a loner through out his life because he moved around so much. Now his wife has left him, and he has no friends. Chris won't want to admit that he loves boxing because of the fake image he created of strong moral values and silver spoon sucking. but the truth is that Chris loves boxing, you can tell that Chris still watches boxing just in that interview because he knows about RJ, Mayweather, Calzaghe, etc, you can tell that he is pretending he doesnt like boxing when secretly he does, Chris created that image of pompous English gentleman because he always craved attention and respect when he was growing up, he is from the streets and mental institututes, he is not from the silver spoon it is an act, he was homeless for years as a kid and comes from humble beginnings. But why would he openly call boxing a "mugs game" man?

20y ago