Billy Joe Saunders vs Chris Eubank Jnr: When two worlds collide

Billy Joe Saunders did not have a pampered public-school upbringing, unlike Saturday’s opponent. He tells Kevin Garside growing up a traveller meant fighting to survive – and Eubank should disrespect that at his peril

Kevin Garside
Wednesday 26 November 2014 22:00 GMT
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Billy Joe Saunders looks across the table and sees an opponent high on hubris, certain of his own infallibility. To be fair he fancies his chances too, but steps back from the full-throttle braggadocio preferred by one Chris Eubank Jnr, conceding that any adversary has at least a puncher’s chance.

Eubank brings every ounce of his father’s conviction and confidence to the business. Mercifully there is none of the costume drama that accompanies Pops, but there is no shortfall in attitude.

Eubank is unbeaten in 18 fights, cites his genetic heritage, Spartan commitment to his trade and unfailing belief in destiny, to explain why he cannot lose when the pair meet on Saturday to contest Saunders’ British, Commonwealth and European middleweight titles. Eubank’s father claims his son is the most dangerous specimen in boxing, the like of which he has never seen, so you begin to see how an idea gathers pace on the Brighton seafront.

Chris Eubank Jr

There is no acknowledgement of Saunders’s stellar amateur career and his unbeaten rise in the professional code. There is no recognition either of the fighting culture from which the 25-year-old emerged.

Saunders hails from the Hertfordshire traveller community. He has effectively been in camp since he was five, the age at which he began throwing knuckle in a precinct where fists are the ultimate arbiter. Fighting is not an option, it’s a defining component of what it is to be a man in that environment.

Eubank believes Saunders to be light on substance, that he will walk straight through him. As you might imagine of a man steeped in street-fighting machismo, there is no greater insult Eubank can deliver.

“You imagine a site with 48 blocks, all kids growing up together. You are going out there every single day and all it is is fighting. You play, you have a game of football and then you fight over it. You imagine that all your life. That does nothing but harden you,” Saunders said.

“You never give up. Never, ever. If I was the kind of bloke who gives up I wouldn’t be here. There is no going out there and saying I’m not having a fight with someone today. That’s not how it works. You are having that fight.”

Video: Saunders vs Fletcher (14 September 2012)

The seminal moment in the hood came at 16 against Tom Little, a fellow traveller, a little older and a lot bigger. “He is a big boy, a heavyweight, 6ft 6in. It was over something stupid. If I could have talked myself out of it, believe me I would have done. But we had it. There was an argument, a challenge was made to me. There were too many people around to back down.

“I was looking at him and thinking I don’t need this. We went into a field, took our shirts off and we had it, bare knuckle. There was no holding back. There was no standing around like in a boxing match where you can conserve energy. You are waiting for a big punch to come hit you on the chin and then you are out. So you are thinking you might as well get it done while you can.

“It was over in 10 minutes. It was a fair fight, not like those street fights when you see knives and bats out. It was hard but fair. We had respect for each other. And I won.”

By that stage Saunders knew he could fight. He was an elite amateur with his heart set on a boxing career. And as he says, “when people know you are in the boxing game you don’t get many offers. I’ve not had a fight like that since.”

The engagement with Eubank would be the professional equivalent in terms of profile, but not, argues Saunders, in terms of the essential demand. Saunders questions the Eubank offering, wondering how immersed in this sport a man can be who was brought up in the splendour of Hove and groomed at public school.

It is fair to assume that tearing down a flashing lane in a horse trap, otherwise known as trotting, the other great love of Saunders and his community, was not on the syllabus at Brighton College.

“You take his dad out of the picture and everything else. Look at it on paper and ask is he in the same league? No. He says going to the Olympics doesn’t mean anything [Saunders represented Britain in Beijing in 2008]. I’m sure a lot of people would want to go to the Olympics at 18 years old then become British, Commonwealth and European middleweight champion undefeated. He hasn’t got the experience.

“His dad’s obviously a great fighter. To achieve what he achieved in boxing [19 consecutive world-title victories], I don’t think anyone will do that again. We all like to keep our dads happy, we all look up to our dads. His dad is his idol and he wants to do the best he can but he is nowhere near as good as he was.

“He is here for this fight because he is getting well paid, the biggest pay-day of his career. He is stepping up and taking his chance. If he loses what does it matter? He has lost to a champion. He has a few more fights and starts again.”

The question mark against Saunders relates to lifestyle. He claims to have seen the light. The late-night kebabs, the visits to the dog track until the early hours with his mates, and other cultural staples have gone. “I know I can’t win a world title living the way I was. I have a picture on my phone a year ago and I was like that [blows cheeks out], about 15 stone.

“It’s my job. It’s got to be done. When I won the European title in my last fight, the night before the weigh-in I had 6.5lb left [to lose]. I was in the sauna and thought I never want to do this again. I got the win. I was lucky. Lots of people learn from a loss. I learned from a win.”

Eubank glosses over his own fleeting exposure to the amateur game, emphasising time spent in Las Vegas sparring with pros. Again Saunders is not convinced and cites his own experience in the ring with senior craftsmen. “I was on my 11th fight. Darren Barker was British and European champion. I went to spar him. I’ll never forget it.

“The night before I played two hours of football. I was absolutely drained. I got in there and had eight rounds with him. Now I’m not sitting around this table saying I smashed Darren Barker about because I’m not like that. But he didn’t smash me about. It doesn’t mean I was ready to fight him for his titles, but you get what I mean.

“Sparring is different. You have big gloves on, the headguard. You get caught with a jab the head goes back but you have time to relax, you don’t let it bother you. When you are in a competitive fight and your head goes back it is the difference between winning and losing a round, one clear punch.”

Eubank says rather fragrantly that he is prepared to die in the ring. Saunders claims he will retire if he loses, all part of the rhetoric in the week of a fight that serves as an eliminator for the WBO middleweight crown. Eubank brings the aura, Saunders the pedigree. It might just be like the old days at the O2 Arena on Saturday night.

BoxNation will televise the fight live and exclusive on Sky 437/HD 490, Virgin 546 and Talk Talk 525. Subscribe at www.boxnation.com

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