Super-lightweight contender Harlem Eubank, who knows his cousin as a fighter as well as anyone, provides an insight into Chris Eubank Jr’s changed mindset going into his rematch with Liam Smith; Smith vs Eubank Jr II takes place on September 2 live on Sky Sports Box Office
Holding a stoppage win over Chris Eubank Jr ought to give Liam Smith a significant psychological advantage going into their September 2 rematch.
But super-lightweight contender Harlem Eubank, who knows his cousin as a fighter as well as anyone, believes that stinging Eubank Jr’s pride in that way is the worst thing Smith could have done.
“I think that is potentially the most dangerous aspect here for Liam Smith,” Harlem Eubank told Sky Sports.
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“His pride, his personality can’t allow that to happen again. He’ll want to redeem himself and prove a point here.”
A familiar figure in Eubank Jr’s team, Harlem Eubank has an insider’s view. Before the last Smith fight, he saw something different in his cousin.
“I didn’t see any of the components of his personality that he usually has before the fight and that kind of transpired as the fight played out I think. I think he’ll have that back for this one,” he said of Eubank Jr.
“The best way to explain it, I couldn’t see that ‘bulletproofness’ in him before the fight. And no one really knows what that comes down to. All I can say is I think with his training I think he will have that back for this fight.
“Because the mindset, the ego if you like, that he carries, he will not want that to happen again and he will want to prove people wrong. He will want to redeem himself and he will want to show people what he can really do and who he really is.
“I think we’ll see that in this next fight.”
He believes Eubank Jr has the mental resilience to bounce back in the rematch.
“He’s had it the hardest [out of them all turning pro]. 1) he was named Chris Eubank Jr, 2) he was the first to enter the boxing world and that kind of mantle is passed down and that limelight and that pressure was the first to fall on him,” Harlem said.
“I feel like he was equipped to handle it with his manner and the way he is. He really has that kind of bulletproofness about him where he doesn’t care and if anything his best performances and his best attributes, he thrives on that kind of doubt, pressure. People always saying, ‘Can you live up to your father?’ I think he thrives off it.
“I’ve felt the same pressure coming through as an amateur into the pros. You’re always compared to a world championship level with no experience.
“I think it definitely hardens you and strengthens you having to deal with them outside pressures as well and I think it forges you into a better fighter.”
He carries the Eubank name himself and knows the weight of expectation that it brings. But he has advanced to an 18-0 career record now and is ready for top-level competition.
“A lot of the people I’ve fought, they’re real fighters. They might not have the big name that other fighters do domestically but they’re real fighters,” he said.
“If you really look into my resume I think it’s stronger than a lot of other resumes domestically.”
His next target is to bring a big-time boxing back to Brighton. “My uncle [Chris Eubank Sr] led the way down there and created a lot of history, a lot of legacy down there. Now I’ve gone away and learned my craft it feels like it’s time to come back,” he said.
“My division’s on fire,” he added. “Big names domestically and obviously overseas as well.
“I’m ready for them big fights and the big nights.”
‘Azim has got the potential’
Adam Azim is an exciting fighter in the same weight class as Harlem Eubank. Azim boxes Aram Fanyan on the undercard of the Liam Smith-Chris Eubank Jr September 2 fight, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
Harlem Eubank is impressed with him. “I think [Azim’s] a talented kid. I think he’s got all the potential. I just don’t think he’s had the same experience in the pros yet. So I think he’s obviously on his own path, developing and amassing that experience,” he said.
“You need that patience and experience. There’s fighters that can come without the name, without the credibility, and can test you and give you that grit and elements you need for down the stretch. That experience is essential.
“These fighters that come over from different countries that are trying to go back and provide for their families, these are solid tests you need along the way. I think he’s doing everything right. He should keep doing what he’s doing.”
Don’t miss Smith vs Eubank II live on Sky Sports Box Office on September 2
