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CHRIS Eubank was forced to take cover as his war with Naseem Hamed erupted again yesterday.
Eubank looked shell-shocked and upset when Hamed's mentor Brendon Ingle took up arms in defence of his WBO featherweight champion.
Eubank received both barrels from Ingle after arriving 20 minutes late for a news conference in Manchester before Saturday's show at the Nynex Arena.
The WBO champions present and past were involved in a fracas at Heathrow Airport in November and clearly the wounds have not healed.
After Ingle's broadside Eubank admitted: "If I was a weaker man, a more emotional man, I'd cry."
The flashpoint came when Eubank said of Hamed, sitting no more than a few feet away: "I've got no interest whatsoever in his fight.
"Naseem has been back stabbing me, he has been sniding and been underhand towards me.
"Anyone who treats me like that I have no interest in. I was kind towards him, I showed him kindness and compassion. I tried to steer him."
It was enough to press Ingle's detonator and he attacked Eubank, and his decision to axe trainer Ronnie Davies last year. "I won't have you pick on Naz," fumed Ingle. "Chris first tried to nick Naz off me seven years ago, but Naz gave him the two fingers. He came to my gym about 11 years ago saying he was the former golden gloves champion of America and an undefeated pro boxer, but he looked out of shape and horrible at first and we laughed at him. Then, a few years later I paid him £300 and Johnny Nelson and Herol Graham stood him on his head.
"Naz has more talent in his little finger than Eubank has ever had. When he came to the gym he watched Naz jump the ropes, strutted round the place and went on to make a fortune. No problem."
Then Ingle turned to Hamed to ask if he agreed with his stinging statements, and the champion said: "I've thought about it, yeah I agree."
Eubank, who challenges Carl Thompson for his WBO cruiserweight title on Saturday, thought and countered: "What you said is total lies. It's like calling brown grey. How can you do this? You've got children, you've got a wife. It's not true what you are saying."
Eubank looked shell-shocked and upset when Hamed's mentor Brendon Ingle took up arms in defence of his WBO featherweight champion.
Eubank received both barrels from Ingle after arriving 20 minutes late for a news conference in Manchester before Saturday's show at the Nynex Arena.
The WBO champions present and past were involved in a fracas at Heathrow Airport in November and clearly the wounds have not healed.
After Ingle's broadside Eubank admitted: "If I was a weaker man, a more emotional man, I'd cry."
The flashpoint came when Eubank said of Hamed, sitting no more than a few feet away: "I've got no interest whatsoever in his fight.
"Naseem has been back stabbing me, he has been sniding and been underhand towards me.
"Anyone who treats me like that I have no interest in. I was kind towards him, I showed him kindness and compassion. I tried to steer him."
It was enough to press Ingle's detonator and he attacked Eubank, and his decision to axe trainer Ronnie Davies last year. "I won't have you pick on Naz," fumed Ingle. "Chris first tried to nick Naz off me seven years ago, but Naz gave him the two fingers. He came to my gym about 11 years ago saying he was the former golden gloves champion of America and an undefeated pro boxer, but he looked out of shape and horrible at first and we laughed at him. Then, a few years later I paid him £300 and Johnny Nelson and Herol Graham stood him on his head.
"Naz has more talent in his little finger than Eubank has ever had. When he came to the gym he watched Naz jump the ropes, strutted round the place and went on to make a fortune. No problem."
Then Ingle turned to Hamed to ask if he agreed with his stinging statements, and the champion said: "I've thought about it, yeah I agree."
Eubank, who challenges Carl Thompson for his WBO cruiserweight title on Saturday, thought and countered: "What you said is total lies. It's like calling brown grey. How can you do this? You've got children, you've got a wife. It's not true what you are saying."
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