Former world champion warns Chris Eubank Jr. before fight against Canelo: “You could get torn to pieces”

Chris Eubank Jr. has signed a promotional deal with BOXXER in an attempt to lure Saul “Canelo” Alvarez into the ring.

Eubank Jr. has always been a big name in the sport but has yet to win a major world title. He has been involved in many big fights with the likes of Billy Joe Saunders, George Groves, James DeGale and most recently two clashes against Liam Smith. The first encounter brought his first KO loss, while Eubank Jr. exacted revenge with a KO of his own in the rematch immediately following.

That was last year and he hasn’t fought since, although there are strong rumors that he is the favorite to fight undisputed super middleweight champion “Canelo”.

Speaking to Lights Out, former cruiserweight world champion and current expert Johnny Nelson said Eubank had earned the right to take the fight.

“Chris is able to decide where he wants to go, what path he wants to take in his career. Since the Smith fight he has remained calm, he is thinking about options, he is thinking about possibilities.

He decides to fight Canelo in the eye of the storm. Of course, most of us think, ‘Oh my God, what is he doing, man,’ but you know what? He’s the real deal. He wants the big money, the bigger fame if he can get it. How does that affect his reputation in the rest of the world? It depends on how he wins or how he loses. He’s the decision maker. He’s the businessman.”

However, he also expressed his concerns about such a pairing, which could result in him being “torn to pieces”.

“I think Chris’ key to success has to be pace. Pace and movement. Boxing match. Of course, ‘Canelo’ is not the fighter he was years ago, but the fighter he is beats 95% of the fighters out there. Is Chris in the 5% that can beat him? We don’t know.

We’ve seen his strengths and weaknesses. Against Canelo, he’s got to make sure his game plan is right, his weight is right. How he executes the fight. If he wins, would I expect him to turn it around? No, I wouldn’t. Would I expect him to steal anything from him? That’s what he’s going to have to do. If he’s 95% Canelo, he’s going to get torn to pieces.”

Eubank Jr. admits that he has been chasing “Canelo” for seven years and is now the frontrunner ahead of previous favorite Edgar Berlanga.