Chris Eubank Jr. is helping trainer Roy Jones Jr. prepare for his fight with Mike Tyson and he can’t quite believe it.
The eight-round exhibition bout between legendary four-weight champion Jones and former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson has captured the imagination of those beyond the usual sphere of boxing.
Jones, 51, will meet Tyson, 54, at the Dignity Health Sports Park in California on September 12 and now Eubank is the unusual position of helping his esteemed coach prepare for a high-profile fight that will excite some and others will watch through their fingers.
“I just never dreamed I would be in this situation where I’m being trained by one of the best ever, somebody I looked up to and idolised as a kid, and now I’m training with him every day, sparring with him,” Eubank told Talksport.
“I’ve got a front row view into what Roy is doing to prepare for Mike and I’m helping him. This is something that I never dreamed in a million years I would be doing, helping Roy Jones to fight Mike Tyson.
“How are we here, how has this happened? But yeah, it really is happening. I’m actually going to Pittsburgh with him in a couple days and we’re going to do some training out there.”
An in-shape Tyson broke the boxing internet with a series of clips on the pads, but short training cameos don’t provide any genuine clue as to how the former heavyweight champion will perform on September 12 after a 15-year hiatus.
“I never ever thought I would be watching a fight and rooting against Mike Tyson,” said middleweight contender Eubank. “Mike Tyson is a hero of mine, but I’m in this crazy position where I’ve got two heroes and they’re fighting and I can’t go against Roy.
“I’ve been with him every day for the last five months so I’m actually in this weird position where I want to see one of my heroes not win.
“I don’t know how prepared Mike is. He looks great in his little 30-second clips on Instagram, but eight rounds against Roy Jones is a different thing.”