Harlem Eubank, who faces Jack Catterall in Manchester on Saturday, said he would have preferred his cousin Chris Eubank Jnr to have boxed Saul “Canelo” Alvarez rather than enter a rematch with Conor Benn.
It was announced on Sunday that Eubank Jnr and Benn will fight again on September 20 in a rematch of their battle in April, when Eubank Jnr won via decision.
They boxed in a violent fight-of-the-year contender, but Harlem had hoped Eubank Jnr might be able to parlay his victory into a bout with the Mexican great in a fight that has been speculated about for years.
“I think you can never recreate all the things that happened to make that [Eubank Jnr-Benn] such a special night,” said Harlem, 31. “I don’t think you can ever re-create again. I’d like to see Chris off the back of that spectacular show go in there against Canelo and do what he does.”
Part of the reason for that is Harlem does not want his cousin to continue fighting at 160lbs – a struggle that Chris Jnr documented on his social media accounts ahead of the bout.
“I don’t want to see him drained,” Eubank added. “You know, last time out, he was a shell of himself in the ring.
“All the weight and all the kind of games that were played against him to, to try and make him the weakest version of himself in the ring. That’s not games that should be played in boxing. I want to see him fully fuelled; go in there against one of the best in the sport in Canelo. I feel like he’s earned that opportunity, defeating everything that was stacked against him the last time out.”
Eubank-Benn II will be in London, potentially back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a week after Canelo fights Terence Crawford in Las Vegas at the Allegiant Stadium on September 13.
On Saturday, at the Manchester Arena, it will be Harlem’s turn to take center stage, and nights like the one he was so close to at Tottenham in April serve as inspiration.
“A hundred percent, a hundred percent – it’s more motivation,” he said. “The Eubank name is back at the top of the sport and I plan on reinforcing that on July 5th at world level against Jack Catterall in Manchester.”
