Though he should be fully focused on his upcoming catch-weight fight with Conor Benn, Chris Eubank Junior could not help calling out a beaten Gennady Golovkin last night. Taking to social media at a time when he should have, out of respect, at least allowed GGG some time to come to terms with his defeat to Canelo Alvarez, Eubank Jr instead called GGG out, in typically classless fashion.
“GGG, you had a great run,” Eubank wrote. “Come back down to middleweight and let’s fight for those belts you still have in December. Or just pass them over and I’ll look after them for the next couple of years while you enjoy retirement….you earned it champ.”
GGG you had a great run. Come back down to middleweight & let’s fight for those belts you still have in December or just pass em over & I’ll look after them for the next couple years while you enjoy retirement… you earned it champ.
— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) September 18, 2022
Isn’t it hard to like Eubank or to have any respect for him? Eubank, we all know, could have faced an in his prime Golovkin back in 2016, when Junior instead “lost his pen,” and failed to sign the fight contract that was right there in front of him; Kell Brook coming in to save the show. Since then, Eubank -who has done nothing of note at elite level (unless you wish to count his decision win over a faded James DeGale, or his decision win over an equally faded Arthur Abraham) – has called Golovkin out multiple times.
It’s entirely up to Golovkin what he does next, and he might fight Eubank, who knows. But GGG will not be “passing over” his belts to Eubank, nor will he be fighting again as soon as December; as Eubank has to know. Does Eubank really want this fight, or is he merely unable to keep his mouth silent? Again, Eubank could have had his chance back in 2016, yet he failed to sign on the dotted line. That’s his fault and nobody else’s.
Some fighters, Golovkin being one of them, have an abundance of class and they display great sportsmanship. No one could accuse Chris Eubank Jr of belonging to this club. No wonder practically every fight fan you speak to here in the UK is rooting for Conor Benn to do the business on October 8. And Benn may well shut Eubank up once and for all in their so-called “Legacy Fight.”