After signing with Team Sauerland at the start of the week, Chris Eubank Jr’s primary focus is a clash with IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
According to new promoter Kalle Sauerland, Eubank is targeting veteran puncher GGG in a renewed assault on the middleweight division, having linked up with former boxing legend turned trainer Roy Jones last year.
Eubank-Golovkin almost took place in September 2016, but the Brighton man pulled out at the contract stage opening the path for then-IBF 147lbs champ Kell Brook who stepped up two weight divisions before losing in the fifth at the O2 Arena.
Now the 38-year-old Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) is back in Eubank’s sights despite the Briton being the No.1 contender for freshly upgraded WBA Super champion Ryota Murata.
“Golovkin is the No 1 target. GGG is a legend but he’s there for the taking,” Sauerland told Sky Sports. “This is the right time to make the fight. It’s a great fight.
“It’s a fight you could do in the UK. Golovkin has fought here before. In normal times, the logical place to make this fight would be the UK, maybe at Brighton’s football stadium. The timing is now right. Golovkin is at the top of our list.
“[Eubank] feels that he wants to box in the UK again,” added Sauerland. “He’s 31 years old, at a stage where it’s about building on the wins that he has had. He needs to seize the moment.
“He needs to get out quick in a tune-up before going against the bigger names. I expect him out around Easter then again in the summer. The plan is to box in the UK but, with the pandemic, we will look at other countries. But our focus is on the UK.”
Eubank (29-2, 22 KOs) is a polarising figure in British boxing, but like his father is a fighter who demands attention. It’s not just the famous surname. Victories over James DeGale, Avni Yildirim and Arthur Abraham show Eubank can fight at top level, but points defeats to Billy Joe Saunders and George Groves illustrate how he can be outboxed by a more elusive target. Jones’ task is to iron out those flaws.