Chris Eubank Jr. says if Liam Williams is serious about a fight against him then he should skip his world middleweight title opportunity against Demetrius Andrade and take on the newly-signed Sauerland fighter.
Eubank and his new promoter Kalle Sauerland took to Instagram Live on Thursday evening to discuss everything from the year ahead, Versace and diets. It wasn’t long though before the topic of potential opponents were discussed and immediately Sauerland brought up potential all-British clashes against Kell Brook and Williams.
“It’s a fun fight with Kell,” Eubank said. “We’ve had our back and forth over the years. I’m sure it’s a fight in Britain a lot of people would want to see.”
Brook was last in action against Terence Crawford two months ago. Crawford’s WBO welterweight title was never really under threat and a little weight on the pedal to the metal ended matters in round four. Brook has fought at middleweight in the past. Four years ago, Gennady Golovkin’s weight and heavy hands proved far too much for ‘The Special One’.
A more appetising prospect is Eubank fighting Williams. The WBO mandatory challenger continues to wait for a date against champion Demetrius Andrade. Williams, never shy of a few words, said on Twitter over a week ago: “So… got Chris Eubank Jr. talking shit now. Finally knows who I am. Put up or shut the fuck up. Let’s get it on.”
“If the things he’s talking about are true he’d take the fight with me before Andrade,” said Eubank. “It’s probably a bigger money fight instead of Andrade. I don’t see hm winning [against Andrade].” Kalle Sauerland added that they had been approached by Williams’ promoter Frank Warren. Sauerland said he responded but hasn’t heard anything back.
The 31-year-old Eubank, like many, hasn’t fought in over a year. Fans last saw the Brit against Matt Korobov with the fight over before it really got going. Round two brought the action to a halt when Korobov suffered a shoulder injury and couldn’t continue.
Sauerland is planning a big year for his new marquee signing. He is adamant that his star name will fight three times this year beginning in April, then the summer before rounding off 2021 with a date later in the year. Eubank has a hit list of opponents he would like to face.
“Number one is Canelo. GGG is number two. He’s been on my radar for years. He has a title; he’s still looking sharp and dangerous. He’s still the guy to beat in the middleweight division. Number three would be Ryota Murata. I’m number one contender for that [WBA] belt [of his]. That fight makes a lot of sense. It’s a fight I can win. It’s belt collecting season. I want these fights.”
Eubank told Instagram viewers that even though he didn’t fight in 2020 it was still a productive 12 months thanks to his new trainer, the legendary Roy Jones Jr. The announcement of the pair working together looked like an odd couple initially and perhaps one that might not work but Eubank believes that the former four-weight world champion and pound-for-pound king will be his trainer until he stops fighting.
Speaking from Pensacola, Florida, where he trains with Jones, he said: “Great fighters usually don’t make great trainers [but] from day one he was on me hard. Every moment of the day teaching me watching me. I was just blown away. This is where I need to be and the guy I need to stay around for the rest of my career.”
The Sauerland-Eubank conversation was taking place a few hours after it was announced that the current pound-for-pound number one Canelo Alvarez would be back in action on February 27. Having just taken Callum Smith’s WBA Super 168lbs title and the vacant WBC belt, the Mexican superstar will now face Avni Yildirim in Miami. Eubank had this to say on Canelo’s fight against the much unfancied WBC mandatory challenger.
“What can you say? It’s a great opportunity for him. Canelo is in a position where he can do what he wants. To be fair to the guy he’s earned that. Should he be fighting the elite every time? Yeah, he should. He’s mandatory and Canelo has earned the right to do what he wants and, if he wants to fight him, we can’t say anything different. It is what it is.”