Chris Eubank Sr., the legendary former two-weight world champion who carried British boxing with dignity, pride, and class through the 1990s, has delivered a brutal message to his estranged son, Chris Eubank Jr., just days before his fight with Conor Benn.
Speaking to SecondsOut, the iconic figure didn’t hold back — laying down the kind of truth few in today’s sport have the guts to say.
Eubank Sr. on the Egg Incident: “I Didn’t Teach You That.”
Eubank Sr., a man who lived by the code of boxing’s nobility, was disgusted by Junior’s behavior in the build-up, where he smashed a raw egg into Benn’s face:
“Junior, you’re smashing an egg against this guy’s face… I taught you that? I didn’t teach you that. Who taught you that? Did Karen teach you that?”
He made it clear this behavior is far beneath the standards he fought to uphold:
“That’s disgraceful! I’m gonna stand in your corner? You must be mad! I would never be in your corner, you’re a disgrace!”
A £100,000 fine wasn’t enough to paper over what Eubank Sr. saw as a betrayal of everything boxing — and his name — stands for.
On Promoters and the State of Boxing: “Is This Who We Are Now?”
Eubank Sr., one of the few left who still defends the spirit of the noble art, ripped into today’s promotional scene:
“These promoters have no care for boxing and the standards of boxing and the noble art that boxing is. No bad language, no hitting people with eggs and then actually promoting it. Is this what we are now?
Is this what it’s come to now? Is this what we are? Is this who we are?”
He wasn’t just disappointed — he was outraged by the way the current generation is being led astray:
“Because if it’s who we are, it’s who your children are going to be.”
On the Fight Being Sanctioned: “You’re All Going the Wrong Way.”
Eubank Sr. made it plain — he doesn’t believe this fight should even happen:
“147 against 160 is against the rules. When Kell Brook was made to fight GGG, it’s against the rules. That boy had his eye socket smashed. This is what happens.
The promoters, to them it’s just a game, but to the warriors it’s a way of life.”
He called out the entire system for abandoning the foundations that he and other greats fought to protect:
“It seems like I’m the one person saying ‘Hold on a minute, guys. You’re all going the wrong way.’
We have to go the other way. This way, where they’re taking you, is to the pits, and I’m not doing that.”
On His Legacy and the Birth of Matchroom’s Success
Eubank Sr. also reminded everyone of what he brought to the sport — something today’s promoters have clearly forgotten:
“I’m the one that created Matchroom. Matchroom would not have superseded other promoters at the time if it weren’t for the spirit that led me through my career.”
He directly addressed Barry Hearn:
“Barry, I gifted you this. You helped me and I helped you. Without me, I couldn’t give you the gift but you passed it to one of your family members.
Where are you, Barry? You go along with all of this?”
Refusing to Play Along: “I Will Not Be an Accomplice.”
When asked if he’d appear in Junior’s corner or show up at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Eubank Sr. was crystal clear:
“I will not be an accomplice to their stupidity, to their circus.”
He stands proudly against the circus that modern boxing has turned into:
“Everything I’ve done for boxing, I should tarnish it being involved in some sort of circus? It’s the wrong statement. It’s a disgrace.”
Final Word: Respect the Legend
Chris Eubank Sr. isn’t just a former champion — he is a standard-bearer for what boxing once meant and what it should still aspire to be.
A fighter who won his belts the right way. A man who treated the sport and its fans with respect. A legend who fought five world title fights a year, not three fights in three years.
His voice might sound lonely now in an era obsessed with social media stunts and circus-like promotions, but make no mistake: Chris Eubank Sr. is a giant whose principles tower over the mess today’s boxing often becomes.
You might not agree with everything he says — but you can’t deny he’s speaking from a place few others even remember anymore.
Boxing — real boxing — needs more men like him.
Last Updated on 04/17/2025
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