"He can definitely win a world title at middleweight. We just need to see him be more active"; The Panel debate whether Chris Eubank Jr can succeed at the highest level ahead of his fight on Saturday night in Manchester
Saturday 1 May 2021 11:13, UK
Chris Eubank Jr has called for a fight against Gennadiy Golovkin, but can he prove himself against the world's best? The Panel of experts have given their verdict...
Eubank Jr has returned to Britain for a must-win battle with Marcus Morrison on tonight's Chisora vs Parker bill, live on Sky Sports Box Office, as he attempts to stay on course for a clash with one of the sport's biggest names.
The Panel debate whether Eubank Jr can succeed at the highest level against the likes of Golovkin...
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I think he's got the potential to be very good. He does some things very well, he's a good athlete, and he's a very strong boy.
He's got to prove that he belongs at that level against Gennadiy Golovkin.
But the wins over James DeGale and Arthur Abraham... I don't diminish wins, but they're not prime guys in Abraham and DeGale. They are guys at the end of their careers.
I think we're yet to see the best of him. He's got to prove that he belongs at that level against Gennadiy Golovkin.
Chris is good at what he does, but the devil is in the detail. He's a good fighter, he's got a good engine, but he's a better fighter than he is a boxer. We've seen when he's lost to boxers, because he struggles to get out of that fighting mode.
It's a case of who he gets in with, and what kind of fighter they are.
But only a few fighters have that fluent boxing ability, so Jnr can still succeed in the middleweight division. He can compete at world title level. It's a case of who he gets in with, and what kind of fighter they are.
The only two people who have beaten him are Billy Joe Saunders and George Groves. Billy Joe beating him, there's certainly no shame in that. George Groves is a big, strong super-middleweight and Eubank Jr is a middleweight, he's not really a super-middleweight.
The time is now, we want to see him put on a performance, show what he's capable of.
He can definitely win a world title at middleweight. We just need to see him be more active. The time is now, we want to see him put on a performance, show what he's capable of, and then get back out again and build some momentum.
I'm interested to see how he looks under new trainer Roy Jones Jr, because he's an absolute legend, who knows his boxing. Eubank Jr, we know he's very fit, and he's very strong. If he's added some skills and boxing smarts to his game, then he's going to be a better fighter.
But as for how good Eubank Jr is, let's see how he looks in this first fight with Jones Jr. I love his attitude, how he is very committed to the game. He has complete belief in himself, but that needs to be tempered with boxing smarts as well as thinking he can go in there and walk through everybody.
I'm expecting to see new dimensions to him. If that's the case, I'm excited, because he's very tough, and he's brought someone on board with knowledge that he'll listen to. With somebody like Jones Jr, he'll respect him, because Roy Jones Jr knows boxing and Roy Jones Jr knows what it takes to be an elite boxer.
I think Eubank Jr has got the potential to become a world champion. He's an improving fighter. I know James DeGale was probably past his best when he lost to Eubank Jr, but he still did a great job.
He's a work in progress. It was a genius move going over to train with Roy Jones Jr, who is one of the best fighters of modern times. He can implement certain things to make Chris a more rounded fighter. I think Eubank Jr will go on and win a world title.
I think he's fringe world level. He's beaten two former world champions in Arthur Abraham and James DeGale. They were both, you could argue, faded forces by the time he boxed them.
He's yet to beat someone who I would consider a world level fighter, at the time he boxed them. But I think he can. He's in a very difficult division. Eubank Jr is no 1 with the WBA, and the obvious fight for him would seem to be Ryota Murata, who is a good fighter.
I don't think there is any guarantee that Eubank Jr would beat him, but I think he could beat him. Golovkin and Canelo are a different matter. But with Golovkin, I do think someone is going to get him, as in beat him, fairly soon. That man could be Eubank Jr. The last thing you need, if you're Golovkin, is someone like Eubank Jr.
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