LIKE FATHER , LIKE SON: Eubank Jr steps into the limelight

Eubank Jr steps into the limelight

FAMILY BUSNIESS: Eubank Jr (left) with his dad

‘LIKE FATHER, like son, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’ and ‘chip off the old block’ are all clichés that describe family members following in their parents footsteps.

And although Chris Eubank Jr has only fought four times since turning professional in November 2011, he has probably heard them all.

Eubank Jr’s father was of course the charismatic two-weight world champion Chris Eubank Sr who was a boxer that the British public loved to hate during the 80s and 90s.

Middleweight Eubank Jr explained that, while he did not mind being compared to his dad, he also wants to be remembered in his own right.

The 22-year-old from Brighton told the Voice of Sport: “Obviously my father was such a big name in the sport so it’s only natural that people are going to compare the two of us but it’s something that doesn’t really bother me.

NEXT GENERATION: Eubank Jr

“At the moment it’s always me and him in the same sentence and as my career continues, I’ll break away from that. Not that I have a problem with it, he’s my father and I’m proud of everything he’s done, but I’m trying to be my own man, my own fighter and that’s definitely the goal for me.”

Growing up Eubank Jr was unsure why his father, who is his manager, was so popular.

“He never allowed me to come to the fights to watch at ringside or anything like that so I never really knew what he did,” said Eubank Jr. “But as I got older at 11 or 12 I started looking him up in newspapers, TV and the internet and it was inspiring seeing him work.

“It was like having my own hero at home.”

A Nevada State and Western Regional Golden Gloves champion in the amateurs, Eubank Jr has trained in America with one of Jamaica’s best pugilists.

“Mike McCallum is a great trainer,” stated Eubank Jr.

“He was the first trainer I had out there in the States.

McCallum was known as the ‘Body Snatcher’ such was the devastation of his body shots and the young boxer admits: “He’s already taught me a lot about going to the body.

“When I came to him I was still kind of green and green fighters are head hunters, it’s just natural. He taught me to focus more on the body and to sit down on punches.”

With only 26 amateur contests under his belt, Eubank Jr is still a relative novice but says he is learning all the time from his father.

“A very important lesson he taught was to be different. He taught me basically to go out there and look good while you’re performing.

"Obviously the number one point of getting in there is to win and to control the fight but it’s very important to look good while you’re doing it.”