Chris Eubank Jr returned to the boxing scene last weekend with guidance from legendary champion Roy Jones Jr and a new following on eBay.
The Brighton-born fighter, son of former WBO middleweight champion and well known personality Chris Eubank Sr, faced off against Wanik Awdijan, winning in the 5th round when the German retired in his corner.
However, some in the sport have been critical of the Briton’s record after the bout, with former super-middleweight champion and current Sky Sports pundit Carl Froch stating he need’s a ‘big one’ in the form of an opponent which will really get his name out there.
Agreeing with The Cobra’s analysis, William Hill’s Gareth Davies responded to his The Final Round colleague David Alorka’s question by saying ‘I think Wanik Awdjian wasn’t the right opponent in many ways’.
He added: It was a treading water fight in many ways, but there is talk now – he put the guy away with a body shot in the 5th and he didn’t come out of his corner in the 6th – of the big fights, Ryota Murata, Gennady Golovkin, the big middleweight title fights.
“They’re mentioning Liam Williams for early December, and I think that’s a very good opponent. We know Williams will bring it, it’s the right style for Eubank to show what he’s learned in the past under Roy Jones Jr.
“He needs to start producing and needs major opponents, because Sky are putting him up there as one of their box office stars. He’s got all the ingredients we need to be a box office star, but we just need the opponents now.”
After the fight, Eubank Jr also made some interesting headlines when signing autographs for fans in Newcastle – where the bout took place – at one bought inking his name across a microwave.
The kitchen utensil is subsequently selling on eBay for tens of thousands of pounds with one bid reportedly reaching £66,000, perhaps signalling that some boxing fans expect a strong future ahead of the contender, as the resale value of such novelty items would significantly increase should he clinch a world title.
Source – William Hill YouTube Channel
