British middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr has reportedly left Wasserman Boxing to join British-based promotion Boxxer. With Eubank Jr having not fought since September of last year, the former IBO champion is overdue for a fight and will be expected to face an opponent in the next 2 or 3 months.
While it wasn’t substantiated for how many fights this deal would last, the official press release by BOXXER surrounding the addition of Chris Eubank Jr (33-3, 24 KO’s) emphasized a “partnership” that the two parties will engage in. According to Eubank Jr, this partnership seems to indicate that he has more freedom and leeway to pick his own fights.
I’m very excited to have signed with BOXXER and Ben Shalom. They fit the direction I want to go in. We have big plans over the next 12 to 24 months. There are big fights in the pipeline and these guys can make it happen. This is a partnership. I have the freedom and the leeway to work how I want to work, which is very rare. I’m in a position of power. I’m in a position to really control the direction that I want to go in so I’m excited.”
Chris Eubank Jr
The position of power Eubank Jr claims to be in will undoubtedly serve him well, with BOXXER having been suspected for several years of forcing decisions upon their own fighters, particularly as it pertains to purse bids of important fights where at least four fighters aligned with BOXXER have withdrawn from mandated fights.
If the partnership allows Eubank more control over his own career, he will likely be able to avoid being put between a rock and a hard place if he were to be mandated to fight anybody. Eubank Jr has already fought under the BOXXER banner twice when he faced British rival Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KO’s) twice in 2023, netting one loss and one victory against Smith in that order.
This move further signals the departure of Chris Eubank Jr from Wasserman Boxing, co-headed by German-British promoter Kalle Sauerland, whose relationship had seemingly been on the rocks when Sauerland sought to pit Eubank against Italian middleweight (160 lbs) Etinosa Oliha (20-0, 8 KO’s).
Chris Eubank has already proclaimed his interest in securing mega-fights against other substantial fighters in boxing, including undisputed super middleweight (168 lbs) champion Canelo Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KO’s).
“I’ve been in the game for 12 years now and I’m still hungry. I’m still excited. I’m still in love with the sport of boxing. I’m in a blessed position right now where there are 4 or 5 different names out there that are mega fights that everybody wants to see. Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Conor Benn, Billy Joe Saunders – and that’s just off the top of my head. There are many more fights out there that can be made, even domestically, so I’m in an exciting position.”
Chris Eubank Jr
Eubank’s choice of opponents might not be too feasible, with Terence Crawford’s (40-0, 31 KO’s) own plans following his August 3rd fight still unknown and Crawford himself eager to battle Alvarez at 168 lbs. Additionally, Eubank was coached by Crawford’s longtime trainer Bomac McIntyre during his last fight against Liam Smith, though it is currently unknown whether Eubank and Crawford are still stablemates.
Conor Benn (23-0, 14 KO’s) is also an unlikely opponent given his provisional suspension that has prevented him from competing anywhere as a professional boxer, making it unlikely Eubank would finally engage with his personal rival following the collapse of their original fight in October of 2022.
Billy Joe Saunders himself may no longer have the same name recognition or ability as he did before, having not been in the ring at all since losing to Canelo Alvarez in 2021, therefore also making it unlikely that the two will fight.
Peculiarly enough, Eubank’s biggest chance at landing a mega-fight might be with the “face of boxing” himself, Alvarez, though he will have some competition in this regard as Puerto Rican contender, Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17 KO’s) is a well-established 168 lbs contender and likely next challenger to face Alvarez, whereas Eubank Jr has not fought at 168 lbs since 2021 and does not appear to be as popular outside the UK as he is inside his home country.
There is also heavy pressure on Chris Eubank Jr to win regardless of who he faces following Liam Smith’s contrasting departure from BOXXER earlier this year. During a recent interview, Smith unleashed on BOXXER chairman Ben Shalom, who he claimed exhibited narcissistic tendencies that rose to the surface following Smith’s loss to Eubank Jr last September and resulted in Smith feeling unwanted and unvalued at BOXXER.
