Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GREEN-EYED, MONSTERED
Chris Jnr slams ‘jealous’ Groves and says: He wants to be me
CHRIS EUBANK Jnr has taunted George Groves, accusing him of being jealous of his popularity.
Eubank seized on Groves’ claim he is a social media “gimmick” at yesterday’s final head-to-head press conference before Saturday’s clash at Manchester Arena.
The Brighton fighter said the jibe showed Groves is envious of his appeal. The IBO super-middleweight king claimed to have 632,000 Instagram followers – over 10 times as many as Groves.
Eubank, 28, also has 425,000 Twitter followers compared to Groves’ 252,000 and says the WBA Super champion would “love” to be him.
“You call me a gimmick and say I’m Insta-famous,” he said, addressing Groves from the dais.
“You’re kind of obsessed with putting across to the public that I’m not real. That’s ludicrous. If anything, I think you would love to be in my position. You would love to have my Instagram followers.
“You’re even wearing the same suit I wore at our first face-off. I think you’re jealous, George.”
He later said: “George has lost the battle of the words, the battle of the wits. He’s lost it miserably in my opinion.
“I just don’t see any confidence in him. I don’t see that fire I have and I told him I want this more than him.”
For once Eubank, who is 26-1-0, was not accompanied by his dad – although ‘English’, as he likes to call himself, appeared later wearing the honorary sergeant’s badge he has been awarded by the Louisiana State Police.
Groves, who is 27-3-0, tried not to be riled by Eubank’s taunts and dismissed him as way below his level.
“It all comes down to levels, and I’m levels above Junior,” said the Hammersmith fighter, who is making the second defence of his belt.