Chris Eubank Sr, the former two-weight world champion, has opened up about two fighters he purposely avoided during his career. The British boxing legend named Roy Jones Jr and James Toney as opponents he considered "too dangerous" to face in title unification bouts.
Eubank Sr, who held world titles at middleweight and super-middleweight from 1990 to 1995, made these revelations in a recent interview with Sky Sports. The boxer, celebrated for his toughness and ranked as one of the best British super-middleweights ever, explained his strategic decisions to steer clear of these formidable opponents.
"Roy is perfect – let me tell you why. He has two things; brains and speed. I only had brains. Roy beat James Toney who, privately for me, is one of the greatest super-middleweights of all time. Toney was a technical boxer but Roy had brains and speed. Roy played with him and I bow to Toney's skill-set. These are two men that I was intelligent not to unify titles with. They were too dangerous."
Eubank Sr's career spanned from 1985 to 1998 and included notable victories over Nigel Benn and Michael Watson. He also faced tough losses against Joe Calzaghe and Steve Collins. His final fight, a defeat to Carl Thompson, led to his retirement.
Roy Jones Jr was known for his lightning-fast hand speed, incredible athleticism, and unorthodox style. He held titles in multiple weight classes and famously defeated James Toney for the IBF super middleweight championship in November 1994.
Eubank Sr justified his decision not to face Jones:
"I would have fought Roy if he was No 1 contender – I would have had to, because my integrity would not have allowed me to dodge him. But I was WBO champion and he was IBF. I didn't have to, I wasn't forced to. It was a very tall building that I chose not to climb."
He added:
"If you choose to do something that you know you cannot do, or that is going to be very difficult, then you are a fool! My view was; Roy, I will admire you from afar!"
James Toney, described by Eubank Sr as "one of the greatest super-middleweights of all time," was known for his technical boxing skills, defensive brilliance, and ability to outsmart opponents in the ring.
The interview took place in the context of Chris Eubank Jr beginning training with Roy Jones Jr, bringing together two boxing legends and a rising star to share wisdom, speed, and brains.
