‘My enemies used dad against me’ says Eubank Jr as he opens up on most brutal day of feud that left legend ‘deeply hurt’

A DARK cloud hung over Chris Eubank Jr as he prepared for the biggest fight of his career. 

His father, former world champion Chris Eubank Sr, wasn’t going to be there to support him. 

Instead, his dad – and his idol – who had coached him since 14 was calling him a “disgrace”.

“I will never be in your corner,” the boxing legend publicly hit out.

The fight in April against Conor Benn, 35 years after their fathers’ savage meeting, came against the backdrop of a years-long family feud that looked beyond salvage.

In one of the most iconic sporting moments of the year, the pair were finally reunited just hours before 36-year-old Eubank Jr beat Benn by unanimous decision in front of a more than 60,000-strong crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London.

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But now, ahead of their rematch this Saturday, a new documentary reveals the darkest depths of this estrangement – with Chris Jr explaining how his enemies “used” his dad against him and forced him into a decision that left his dad “deeply hurt”.

Speaking of their war of words ahead of the controversial bout earlier this year, he says: “Was he worried I was going to lose? Was he worried I was going to ruin the legacy that he had created? Did he just want to be controversial at that moment in time?

“These are the reasons he was so against this fight.”

Chris Jr’s childhood in Brighton was comfortable thanks to his dad’s success – but he didn’t know the extent of it.

“Kids used to come up to me, ‘Oh your dad’s the famous boxer.’ I was like yeah, but I didn’t really know what that meant. I wasn’t allowed to watch his fights or go to his fights,” he said.

“It wasn’t until I was 10 or 11 years old, I went to a friend’s house for a sleepover, I was going through their VHS tapes and my old man and Nigel Benn are on the front of one of these tapes. 

“I popped it in – and that was my introduction to the world of boxing and what my father really did.”

Chris Jr was hooked – but his dad was firmly against him following in his footsteps.

After two years of pleading he relented.

“You keep knocking, I’ve got to open the door at some point,” warned Eubank Sr. 

“But you’re walking into hell.”

Brutal training

Chris Jr was pushed to his limits. He excelled – but something threatened to drag him down.

“I was training every day with my dad. But I was also in a gang,” he said. 

“I was running around the streets. I got arrested a couple of times – I was going down the wrong path.”

Aged 16, it was decided he would be sent to live in Las Vegas, where he could focus solely on sport. 

It was a decision that he thinks saved his life.

“If I stayed in England,  I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “I would be in jail, or dead. And that’s no joke.”

Coached by his dad, Chris Jr chalked up win after win.

He felt invincible, but after his 2019 loss against George Groves, something had to change.

You were never a background guy… I needed to be myself, be my own man

Chris Eubank Jr

Comparisons with his dad had followed him his whole career – and Chris Jr wondered if he’d ever be able to step out of his shadow.

“I had to make sure I walked my own path,” he said.

“I told him: ‘Listen, I’m the boss now…that’s not to say I don’t want you in my life, but in terms of my career I have to do this on my own.”

Speaking to his dad about their estrangement for the first time since April’s fight, Chris Jr told him why he fired him as coach. 

“My enemies used you against me. It made fighting extremely difficult for me mentally, knowing they could keep poking and prodding me about you,” he said.

“You were never a background guy. That’s how you were for my entire life. I needed to be myself, be my own man. 

For Eubank Sr, the move felt like a knife in the back. 

“I gave up my life. I was there with you all the time,” he said.

“I was hurt – deeply, deeply, deeply hurt. It’s a very cruel thing to do to a dad.”

Family heartache

Then, in 2021, tragedy struck. 

Eubank Sr’s son, Sebastian, was found dead from a heart attack days before his 30th birthday. 

“It was one of the worst days of my life,” said Eubank Jr.

“It consumed my father. You would think something like that would bring a family closer. But it was the opposite. 

“For him, the passing of my brother widened the gap. He wasn’t able to figure out how to deal with that loss and still have a working relationship with his children.”

I’m going to stand in your corner? You must be mad

Chris Eubank Sr

For his fight against Conor Benn, Chris Jr was going to have to dehydrate to make the weight. 

His dad – already battling with the loss of one son – feared it was a death sentence.  

Then when Chris Jr smashed an egg against Conor Benn’s face at a press conference, in mockery of his rival’s claim he’d failed a drug test because of egg contamination, Chris Sr lashed out. 

“I didn’t teach you that”, he said publicly, calling for his son’s boxing licence to be revoked. 

“I’m going to stand in your corner? You must be mad,” he said. “You’re a disgrace.”

At a later press conference, Benn then taunted his opponent over the “pain” of making weight. 

“What is pain though” Chris Jr replied.

“I have a 31-year old brother who is buried in the desert in Dubai, that is pain. 

“My own father, a man I idolised my entire life, and he doesn’t speak to me. We haven’t spoken in years and he thinks I’m a disgrace.

“These things are what pain is to me.”

Dad’s love

But a mere 24 hours before the fight – a text came through on Chris Jr’s phone from his dad.

“I was like, I can’t deal with this right now,” he said.

“I left it. I almost didn’t reply. I didn’t for a couple of hours. 

“I told him: ‘I can’t be listening to any negativity. You’ve been sh**ting on me and the fight – I can’t listen to that right now, it’s the night before the biggest fight of my life. 

I have nothing negative to say. I want to be next to you

Chris Eubank Sr

“He said: ‘No, I have nothing negative to say. I want to be next to you.

“Him being there by my side, walking me to that ring, being in my corner, it definitely gave me that boost – that little extra per cent to go in there and get the job done. 

The crowd erupted at the sight of them together again at last, and get the job done he did. 

Chris Jr defended his dad’s legacy – but the battle was far from over. 

Suffering from severe dehydration, Chris Jr was rushed to hospital, and his dad feared the worst.

“I was in the hospital with Junior for two nights and three days. I saw where his life was touch and go,” he said. 

He even slept in the hospital’s corridors to be by his son’s side.

“Was I expecting that?” said Chris Jr. “To be completely honest, no. 

“When I saw that, I knew he still loves me. He’s still my dad.”

Their relationship is on the path to repair.

Chris Sr is still keen to see his son retire – something Chris Jr isn’t thinking about just yet.

But Chris Jr did have some good news for his dad, revealing he will soon be a grandfather to twins.

“I want to be the type of father that my kids can come to and talk about anything. I couldn’t do that with my old man,” he said.

“I don’t need a trainer, I don’t need a mentor. What I want from you as a father is friendship.

“I want to be able to go to the cinema, go to an event, or sit as a restaurant and talk about anything but boxing. I just want a dad.

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“And yes, my old man, my father Chris Eubank Sr, will 100 per cent be there for the rematch. How could he not?”

The Eubanks: Like Father, Like Son airs tonight at 9pm on BBC Three and iPlayer