David Haye was invited onto the coaching team of Chris Eubank Jr to prepare for a now-postponed Liam Smith rematch – and he’s apparently surprised at what he has witnessed.
Eubank was handed the first stoppage loss of his career by Liverpool’s Smith back in January, and, a month later, activated his contractual rematch clause to run it back.
His trainer, Roy Jones Jr, was recently joined by another boxing legend in Haye on the coaching team, his ‘experience and IQ’ being two of the factors that landed him the role.
Chris Eubank Sr spoke to TalkSPORT about his son’s status in boxing, and revealed that Haye had phoned him since his appointment to point out some detrimental camp practices.
“David Haye called me the other day and said [Eubank Jr] doesn’t spar, he does everything that he wants to do, he’s got ‘yes men’ around him. And so it seems to me, by what David Haye tells me, that he’s still not listening.”
The former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion was known for hard spars to prepare for opponents, bringing the likes of Deontay Wilder and Filip Hrgovic into his gym. It’s clearly something he believes is vital ahead of fight night.
It’s unclear how long Haye will have to work with Eubank Jr given the second postponement of the Smith rematch. Despite the promoter, BOXXER, being confident the fight will be rearranged, there have been rumours that the Brighton man is instead looking into reigniting an unfinished – and essentially unstarted – rivalry with Conor Benn.
Whoever ends up int he opposite corner of the 33-year-old, it seems his father doesn’t have huge confidence in his success.