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I thought this was a pretty good read. Good to see their side of things and also their views going forward in terms of fights and the Hearns.
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Chris Eubank: My son is not stepping backwards in bid to win British title. He has to win the British title before it's too late.
CHRIS EUBANK claims Chris Jnr’s decision to fight Nick Blackwell for the British title is NOT a backwards step.
Team Eubank and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing went their separate ways last week with one bout remaining on a three-fight deal after Mick Hennessy won the purse bid to stage the domestic showdown.
But Eubank insists his son’s sole focus is on beating Blackwell — despite being mandatory challenger to WBA world middleweight king Daniel Jacobs.
The former two-weight world champion, 49, said: “I put it across to Eddie that the British championship is all-important to Team Eubank.
“It was an unexpected outcome. Who knew that Hennessy would outbid Matchroom? I spoke to Matchroom and said, ‘Do not lose this bid.'
“The sell where this is concerned is the British championship. Oh my goodness, it’s huge!
"If ever a broadcaster or platform wanted the ingredients for a fight which means something, this is it.
“Jnr is capable of drawing huge audiences — and he’s doing that. All people have to know is that he’s on a show.
“He’s got the mystique and delivers excitement like no one else. He’s proven that he’s not just a daddy’s boy.”
Eubank won the WBO world title at both middleweight and super-middleweight during a stellar career but did not box for the British crown.
And he does not want Chris Jnr, 26, to miss out on holding the prestigious championship.
He added: “This British championship means a lot to Jnr. You can’t go back, so we’ve got to do it now. Is it a backwards step? No. This is the ONLY step.
“The world championship fight with Jacobs, it can be at a later point. For February or March, Team Eubank only ever wanted the British.
“Once you get the world title, there is no going back. I never had the British because I went straight for the world title. I was chasing Nigel Benn.
“Whether you get it or not, I am a patriot. My father taught me by example. He came over here in the 1950s and adored everything British. They actually nicknamed him English.
“For me, the world [title] is all important. I’ve had the world, but I never had the British. This is legacy, this is patriotism and this is Britain.
“Jnr will get far less for the British title fight, but this is not about money. This is about the British title. This is about prestige, history and legacy — the Marquess of Queensberry.
“Other people may not get that, but I come from Jamaican parents and they loved this country. They taught me to love this country.
“My son wants a shot at that championship, so we are going to negotiate with Hennessy.
“But why wouldn’t we work with Matchroom again? Eddie and Barry Hearn are fantastic operators.
“They just shouldn’t discard the fact that they don’t own Jnr. We have our route, which may not be their route. This is Team Eubank and I speak on behalf of Jnr.”
Eubank Jnr defeated Spike O’Sullivan on December 12 to secure his shot at Jacobs.
And with old foe Billy Joe Saunders capturing the WBO world title just a week later, 2016 is set to be a bumper year for the Brighton-based fighter.
Eubank revealed: “Negotiations have already started with Frank Warren for the Saunders fight in the summer.
“Boxing is fluid, but you can’t put the cart before the horse. We want to negotiate for the British championship first.
“There will be a time for Jacobs and Saunders, but the BBBofC have made the decision to have Jnr fight for this title before March, so that’s the fight in place.”
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Chris Eubank: My son is not stepping backwards in bid to win British title. He has to win the British title before it's too late.
CHRIS EUBANK claims Chris Jnr’s decision to fight Nick Blackwell for the British title is NOT a backwards step.
Team Eubank and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing went their separate ways last week with one bout remaining on a three-fight deal after Mick Hennessy won the purse bid to stage the domestic showdown.
But Eubank insists his son’s sole focus is on beating Blackwell — despite being mandatory challenger to WBA world middleweight king Daniel Jacobs.
The former two-weight world champion, 49, said: “I put it across to Eddie that the British championship is all-important to Team Eubank.
“It was an unexpected outcome. Who knew that Hennessy would outbid Matchroom? I spoke to Matchroom and said, ‘Do not lose this bid.'
“The sell where this is concerned is the British championship. Oh my goodness, it’s huge!
"If ever a broadcaster or platform wanted the ingredients for a fight which means something, this is it.
“Jnr is capable of drawing huge audiences — and he’s doing that. All people have to know is that he’s on a show.
“He’s got the mystique and delivers excitement like no one else. He’s proven that he’s not just a daddy’s boy.”
Eubank won the WBO world title at both middleweight and super-middleweight during a stellar career but did not box for the British crown.
And he does not want Chris Jnr, 26, to miss out on holding the prestigious championship.
He added: “This British championship means a lot to Jnr. You can’t go back, so we’ve got to do it now. Is it a backwards step? No. This is the ONLY step.
“The world championship fight with Jacobs, it can be at a later point. For February or March, Team Eubank only ever wanted the British.
“Once you get the world title, there is no going back. I never had the British because I went straight for the world title. I was chasing Nigel Benn.
“Whether you get it or not, I am a patriot. My father taught me by example. He came over here in the 1950s and adored everything British. They actually nicknamed him English.
“For me, the world [title] is all important. I’ve had the world, but I never had the British. This is legacy, this is patriotism and this is Britain.
“Jnr will get far less for the British title fight, but this is not about money. This is about the British title. This is about prestige, history and legacy — the Marquess of Queensberry.
“Other people may not get that, but I come from Jamaican parents and they loved this country. They taught me to love this country.
“My son wants a shot at that championship, so we are going to negotiate with Hennessy.
“But why wouldn’t we work with Matchroom again? Eddie and Barry Hearn are fantastic operators.
“They just shouldn’t discard the fact that they don’t own Jnr. We have our route, which may not be their route. This is Team Eubank and I speak on behalf of Jnr.”
Eubank Jnr defeated Spike O’Sullivan on December 12 to secure his shot at Jacobs.
And with old foe Billy Joe Saunders capturing the WBO world title just a week later, 2016 is set to be a bumper year for the Brighton-based fighter.
Eubank revealed: “Negotiations have already started with Frank Warren for the Saunders fight in the summer.
“Boxing is fluid, but you can’t put the cart before the horse. We want to negotiate for the British championship first.
“There will be a time for Jacobs and Saunders, but the BBBofC have made the decision to have Jnr fight for this title before March, so that’s the fight in place.”
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