Chris Eubank has shared some massive rivalries during his career, but none more heated, it seems, than one of his forgotten career opponents.
Most recently engaging in his decider with long-time enemy Conor Benn — Eubank Jr. reignited a family feud between the duo’s parents, Chris Eubank Sr. and former WBC super middleweight champion Nigel Benn.
But interestingly, amid sizeable rows with the likes of Benn and the retired former world champion George Groves in the past, Eubank has a particular foe in mind when it comes to the biggest rival he holds the most disdain for.
Chris Eubank ripped veteran rival who he labelled as “scummy”
Beginning his own career in an impressive 18-fight undefeated run, Eubank would eventually come unstuck in his bitter grudge match with former WBO super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders.
Matching with European, British, and Commonwealth gold up for grabs back in 2014, Eubank found himself on the wrong side of a split decision loss to the outspoken Saunders.
And recently, the Hove native admitted that while his notable rivalry with Benn is not personal, his grudge with Saunders goes so much deeper than many can imagine.
“There’s very few people in the sport, on the planet really, that I genuinely dislike. He (Billy Joe Saunders) is one of those people,” Chris Eubank told Diary of a CEO in June.
“Billy Joe is a drug cheat, too. So, Billy Joe — because not only is he a drug cheat, he is actually a real scummy human being,” Eubank continued.
“…He is a bad, bad person, a terrible advocate for the sport, just a real low-life human being.
“I don’t say that about any of the guys I’ve fought. I’m not even saying that about Conor (Benn).”
And despite failed attempts in the past to pit the duo together again, Eubank may still get his chance to take on Saunders, who is gearing up for his own comeback.
Billy Joe Saunders failed to rule out Chris Eubank rematch
Sidelined from action for the last four years, Saunders suffered an infamous stoppage loss against Canelo Alvarez in their grudge match — losing his WBO super middleweight championship in the process.
But welcoming a potential return to the ring before too much longer, the polarizing Saunders recently touched on the chances of fighting Eubank in a re-run of their first pairing 11 years ago.
“Everyone knows it’s going to be me and (Chris) Eubank,” Saunders told Box Nation last year. “Eubank knows that he’s going to end up fighting me.
“I know if I come back, I’m going to end up fighting him,” Saunders explained. “We will settle our differences in the ring, rather than on Instagram or in interviews.”