Chris Eubank: Biography

[GEOFFHAYES]

Born in London on 8th August 1966, Chris attended various schools, managing to get himself expelled from all of them. He spent his childhood in and out of care and by 14 he was living on the streets. He was constantly being chased by the police - once for a full 24 hours, only escaping by sliding down a drainpipe in his underpants.
At 16 he moved to the USA with his father and he graduated school while taking up boxing.

He won his first amateur championship in New York aged 18, turning professional the following year. Since then he's amassed quite a few boxing titles including former undefeated WBC international middleweight champion, former undefeated WBO Middleweight champion of the world, former WBO super-middleweight champion of the world, Old Buck belt award and The Ultimate Gladiator. He's been in 52 fights with 45 wins (including a record 20 successful World Championship fights in succession).

Taking Nigel Benn's WBO Middleweight crown in the greatest and most ferocious title confrontation between two British boxers, remains one of Chris's career highpoints. Knocking out Renaldo Dos Santos at the Royal Albert Hall with the first punch was also quite a bit of a buzz!

On the homefront Chris's snappy sartorial style has won him several Best Dressed Man awards. In 1990 he married Karron - despite the fact that their first date ended with her being rushed to hospital with concussion. Together with their four children, they live in Brighton, where Chris is Lord of the Manor and can be seen driving around in his massive Monster truck.













(ight)

[Oasis_Lad]

Quality stuff.

[-Antonio-]

Impossible...

[S A M U R A I]

I love Chris Eubank.



100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3

[paul750]

I thought that account was banned long ago.

[GEOFFHAYES]

http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_head...name_page.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-stranger.html

[GEOFFHAYES]

After five years as an unknown pro, you face English crowd favorite Nigel Benn in front of more than 10,000 spectators and more than 10,000,000 as a television audience. Despite Benn having the best punching record in boxing, how did you hold your nerve and do you feel that great win is even under-rated, especially on this side of the ocean?



I understood early on that I would get nowhere without focus, application and self-belief. If you prepare correctly mentally you cannot fail.



My final amateur bout – a Golden Gloves semi-final loss – was fought at the Madison Square Gardens and live on the Wide World of Sports programme. I was only 18 and it was good experience.





We didn't get to see as much of you as we'd have liked…



As hard as my manager Barry Hearn tried, he couldn't convince American Television that I'd do any better than Benn's earlier victims. I put that down to ignorance and vowed never to sign with American Television on principle.



Watson, Benn and Steve Collins all had their world championship chances screened on the Wide World of Sports earlier that year, so I felt extremely hard done by.





Many European fight fans feel you lost your killer instinct as a fighter – so to speak – after your tragic fight with Michael Watson in 1991. Would you go along with that?



Yes.





Who would you say is the best opponent you ever fought?



By far, Michael Watson in our second fight.





You didn't attempt to unify the titles with American champions, why was this?



I was a world champion in my own right, just like James Toney was, (and) just like Roy Jones was.





How would you have fared?



They'd have been my hardest challengers and I'd have been theirs.





Who would you say is the greatest post-Hagler middleweight?



Mike McCallum.





What about the best fighter of your time?



I mastered boxing, but Roy Jones was in a league of his own.





What would you say were the best performances of your career?



All of the Benn, Watson, Thompson and Rocchigiani bouts.




Is it true that you once knocked out Herol Graham in a sparring session?



No I hit him too hard to knock him out! I hit him so hard that I couldn't hit him again! I didn't hit him on his bottom, I hit him on his back. That's how hard I hit him. But he bounced up off the canvas and I couldn't hit him again.




Do you feel your punch is historically under-rated?



It was measured at two tons in force in 1990. It takes years to learn how to punch with devastating consequences. Eric Holland wouldn't ever go down again in 58 fights and that was my hardest punch at the time, still in development.





Your level of competition is sometimes criticized by fight fans, do you feel that's under-rated too?



I turned professional in 1985, won the world championship in 1990 and retired in 1995 with a 43-2-2 record that included 21 world championship fights and 15,000,000 pounds in finances. The great Mike McCallum wouldn't fight Michael Watson again, Steve Collins wouldn't fight Joe Calzaghe and no other world champion would defend in Germany.





Who was your boxing idol?



Dennis Cruz, who you would not have heard of. Like Herol Graham, in the gymnasium it was like he was unbeatable. His ring movement was poetry, like nothing. On two occasions Dennis was one fight away from a world title shot, only to blow it through lack of discipline. I learned from that and placed discipline near the top of my agenda.





'Prince' Naseem Hamed claims you stole the acrobatic rope-jumps from him. What's your take on that?



I took the vault into the ring from Dennis Cruz. My first five professional fights were in Atlantic City against guys with similar records and similar names, so I felt I should vault into the ring to let the crowd, judges and referee know that I might be abit better than normal and abit better than novice.





Finally Chris, we hear that your son, Chris Jr, is a great prospect and Golden Gloves champion in Las Vegas. Will he be following in your footsteps?



Like every parent, I want my off-spring to be happy. I'm not happy for him to box, but if he's happy to box then I've no choice but to support him. He is good, but didn't have the hardest of upbringings and we all know that boxing is about being able to take it, not just give it. We know Amir Khan can give it...




Eubank Jr takes to the ring
3:20pm Monday 6th October 2008

Comments (13) Have your say »

By Simon Barrett »

Chris Eubank's eldest son proved a chip off the old block as he made a winning start to his British amateur boxing career.

Chris Jnr, 19, leapt over the top rope and shadow boxed just like his famous father used to do during his heyday in the 1990s.

He went on to record a unanimous points victory over Luke Batstowe, from Moulsecoomb, Brighton, after four rounds of frantic action at the Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel on Saturday.

Eubank senior was at his son’s side in the dressing room after his bout, part of a charity card which pitched Hove Amateur Boxing Club against a Royal Navy squad.

After the fight, Hove coach Scott Welch, a former British heavyweight champion, said: “Chris is far from the finished article but that shows me where he is currently at in his development.

“He has bags and bags of potential which we can bring out in his next fights.

He needs to work on his fitness though, as he was really blowing by the end. It’s important Chris gets as many fights as possible. He’s extremely dedicated.”

After two years of training in Las Vegas, Chris Jnr, returned to Sussex in June and joined Hove, based at the King Alfred Leisure Centre.

In the US, he had ten amateur bouts and won the Nevada State Golden Glove championships at super-middleweight. The young fighter has ambitions to represent his country at the Olympics in London 2012.

Unlike his father, Chris Jnr was not keen to talk to the Press although, ironically, that may have something to do with his outspoken father’s advice.

In a recent Sport magazine article, Eubank senior said: “He’s been advised not to speak to the Press until he’s halfway through his pro career.”

Sport RSS Feed
Eubank is a chip off the old block
7:30am Monday 6th October 2008

Comments (1) Have your say »

By Mike Legg »

Chris Eubank junior did not disappoint a sell-out home crowd as he kicked off his amateur career on British soil with a points victory on Hove’s charity show.

Lloyd Ellett topped the card at the Metropole Hotel as a Hove Select took on the combined might of the Royal Navy and Marines but there was little doubt as to who many people in the crowd had come to see.

The cries of “Eubank, Eubank” once reserved for his father Chris senior during his heyday accompanied him to the ring, while there were jeers from his opponent Luke Batstowe’s fans.

There was no evidence that Hove amateur Eubank Jnr wants to avoid comparisons with his former world middleweight champion father and the pressure that may entail as he leapt the top rope to enter the ring and then shadow-boxed in the same fashion as his dad used to do.

Eubank, 19, has already enjoyed amateur success in the United States and threatened to overwhelm the tall Batstowe in the opening round with thudding hooks to the body and head but was taken the four rounds to claim a unanimous points victory over one of the county’s top novices.

Eubank senior was in the dressing room after the bout but declined to be interviewed, as did his son, leaving Hove coach Scott Welch to sound a note of caution on a night when all five of his club’s boxers won.

Former British heavyweight champion Welch said: “People have got to remember he is only a novice fighter with ten bouts behind him and still learning the game.

“I rate his opponent Luke highly so Chris has just beaten a very good boxer who is also awkward.”

[GEOFFHAYES]

[paul750]

This is pretty much all you need to know about him:

Chris Eubank (born Christopher Livingstone Eubanks on August 8 1966) is a boxing legend and British celebrity who held the WBO Middleweight and Super Middleweight titles.
Early life

Christopher Livingstone Eubanks (later opting to delete the 's' from his surname) was born on 8th August, 1966, in Dulwich, London and spent nearly two years in Jamaica (from two months old to two years old). On his return, he lived in Stoke Newington, Dalston, Hackney and then onto Peckham. He grew up in poverty.

Chris attended Bellingden Junior School, and then Thomas Carlton Secondary School from where he was suspended eighteen times in one year and then expelled, despite gallantly trying to protect other children from bullies. He then attended Peckham Manor School, from where he was suspended five times in four weeks for the same reason and then also expelled. Chris was then put into care.

He was then placed in various institutions by the Social Services: The Hollies in Sidcup, Kent, for one month; Yastrid Hall in North Wales for one and a half years; Stanford House in Shepherds Bush for seven weeks for assessment; St. Vincent's in Dartford, Kent, for one month; Orchard Lodge, Crystal Palace, for seven weeks for assessment; Karib in Peckham, London, for one month; and then, finally, Davy's Street School (care facility) in Peckham for one month.

His mother had left for New York when he was eight years old because his father had treated her awfully. Chris ended up as a homeless thief in his early teens, addicted to alcohol and marijuana, and reportedly a member of a notorious shoplifting gang (an allegation he subsequently denied in an interview on with Tim Shaw on Kerrang! Radio). At the age of 16, his father sent him to New York to live with his mother in the South Bronx.

Eubank the boxer

Eubank made a fresh start in the South Bronx, quitting alcohol and marijuana, attending church and studying at Morris High School (he graduated in the summer of 1986). In his spare time he trained at the Jerome Boxing Club on Westchester Avenue (his older brothers, Peter and Simon, who were twins, were both boxers back in Peckham). Eubank became obsessed with trying to improve his skills at the boxing gym and trained seven days a week, becoming an amateur boxer and winning the 1984 New York Spanish Golden Gloves. He then reached the semi-finals of the 1985 New York Daily News Golden Gloves at Madison Square Garden, which is where his reputation for controversy began as he hit the headlines for the wrong reasons after biting his opponent's shoulder.

His drive to succeed in boxing came through his drive to become an accepted individual (his brothers, who were boxers, always treated him awfully when growing up).

He made his debut at the Atlantis Hotel against Timmy Brown, shortly after his 19th birthday. It was an eye-catching display, the young man vaulting the top rope and showing agility, skill and power. He won over four rounds on points, and four more four-rounders followed (all in Atlantic City) with four more points wins. He finally returned to the UK in January 1988, making Brighton (where his brothers Peter and Simon had settled) his adopted home. He became obsessed with becoming a world champion. In October 1988, when he was 10 and 0 as a professional boxer, Eubank first started calling out Nigel Benn, and they would become arch-rivals.

In 1990 he beat highly rated Brazilian Reginaldo Dos Santos in 20 seconds to win an inter-continental title and a world title shot, then won the WBO world middleweight title against Nigel Benn in a classic encounter that was later released on DVD. Eubank would defend the title successfully against Dan Sherry, Gary Stretch and finally in an excellent match with Michael Watson. This concluded Eubank's career as a middleweight, with a 28-0 record.

In 1991 he was involved in what experts regard as the greatest fight in a British ring where he sent the ill-fated Michael Watson into a coma. Eubank was behind on all scorecards when he rose from the canvas at the end of the 11th round to unleash a devastating uppercut to Watsons jaw. The blow was exacerbated when a left hook quickened the stunned Watsons' fall into the ropes. The bout was somehow allowed to continue briefly into the 12th, but Watson collapsed afterwards and almost died. Eubank contemplated quitting the sport.

The Eubank v Watson rematch is considered one of the greatest of all time, and commentator Reg Guttteridge claimed he had; "never seen a more dramatic end to a world title fight".

The Watson rematch won Eubank a second title, the WBO world super-middleweight championship. His middleweight title relinquished, Eubank began defending his new crown at the higher weight of 12st to which he was more suited.

After injuring Watson permanently, Eubank never again showed his desire to win by knockout, and became a phenomenal 'out-fighter', winning many fights on points and retaining his WBO world super-middleweight title. He never again fought at middleweight, where he had been an undefeated world champion, and so lost the opportunity to have his name rank alongside middleweight legends such as Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvellous Marvin Hagler, yet Eubank rose to become the top ranked super middleweight in the world.

Nigel Benn would move to the heavier weight to become WBC champion, and the pair would agree to meet in a WBC/WBO unification match. In 1993 the bitter rivals would engage in another contest named 'Judgement Day', and watched by billions, fought thrillingly to a draw.

Don King negotiated the contracts so that he would own both the winner and the loser of Eubank v Benn 2. Barry Hearn claimed that as a draw was not written into the contract, Eubank was free to sign a new deal with him. He did.

Eubank, despite losing his killer instinct after the Watson tragedy, still continued to box and claim scalps. He beat former IBF world super-middle and future WBC world light-heavyweight champion Graciano Rocchigiani, in an infamous bout staged in Berlin. Eubank memorably infuriated the partisan crowd by strutting and posing between rounds. Former IBF world super-middleweight king Lindell Holmes was easily beaten, as was two-time WBC world super-middleweight champion 'Sugar Boy' Malinga, European champion Ray Close and American champion Ron Esset. And of course Eubank remained unbeaten in two wars each with Michael Watson and the all time great Nigel Benn.

After the Benn rematch and the Rocchigiani victory, Eubank signed an eight fight £10million deal with Sky Sports, and fought in Ireland, South Africa, Manchester, London and Millstreet. Fights in Paris, Rome and the Middle East to conclude the program were scuppered when Eubank lost his title via a controversial split decision in March 1995. In his 44th fight, having accepted at short notice to fight Steve Collins, his unbeaten record and title were lost. Collins was a stand-in for Ray Close, who had failed an MRI scan. Eubank had Collins reeling but seemmed bereft of his old killer instinct. In the rematch, Eubank had Collins bleeding and disorientated but would not 'bludgeon' his opponent to a knockout, after the Watson tragedy. Chris, with not a mark on his face, lost on points. He retired at 45-2.

Chris Eubank returned to boxing a year later, organising a two fight program to box where he would have defended his title in the sky deal, beating Luis Barrera in Cairo, Egypt, and Camilo Alarcon in Dubai. He then signed a deal with Frank Warren to fight again on Sky.

[oldgringo]

One word:

Dulwich.