Only world enough for Eubank Jr
CHRIS EUBANK JUNIOR is still determined to prove himself a great fighter by bouncing back to reclaim his world title.
The 29-year-old returns to the ring in Jeddah on Friday for the first time since losing his IBO World super-middleweight crown to George Groves in February, taking on Irishman JJ Mcdonagh
He said: “All the greats are twotime, three-time, four-time world champions. The large majority have had to bounce back and that is the sign of a true champion, to suffer a defeat and to come back stronger, to learn from it and improve. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.
“I’ve got this fight with JJ Mcdonagh, it’s a good little tune-up fight, then we’re looking for a big one at the end of the year.
“He’s a game kid. He wants it, this is his shot.
“I guess he believes he is going to capitalise on the fact I’m coming off a loss, maybe he thinks my confidence has been knocked.”
Smith has trained for his clash with Mcdonagh at Floyd Mayweather Junior’s gym in Las Vegas. He said: “I’ve been out in Vegas on and off for the last twoand-a-half months, training with Floyd Senior and the Money Team. “It was a nice little change – get away from England and experience a different environment.
“Obviously I’ve trained in Las Vegas on and off for years, but not for a while have I spent a long time out there like I did this time. “Having a change of scenery, sparring partners and pad men, even weather, training in the heat and at high altitude, it was good.
“Who knows, maybe it will be a future place for me to train before up-and-coming fights.”
The fight everyone is talking about – and Eubank is hinting at – is a clash with James Degale, expected at the end of the year.
Degale has his own tune-up fight in North America at the end of this month and, as we revealed in the summer, the pair have been in talks for a while.
“I can’t say anything official but we are looking for a blockbuster showdown at the end of this year,”. added Eubank. “I can’t say names – but it’s looking very promising.”