During his reign as world heavyweight champion, David Haye merely expected to go through the gears and work up a slight sweat when he was asked to spar with the middleweight son of British boxing legend Chris Eubank.
Eubank Jr, an amateur prospect weighing almost 60lbs less than his bulkier combatant at the time, was initially visiting Haye’s gym to complete rounds with stablemate and super-middleweight hopeful George Groves.
After doing so the opportunity arose to carry out a civilised, uncompetitive spar with Haye, yet in the end his solid resolve and startling tenacity left a lasting impression on the heavyweight chief.
‘I sparred with Chris years ago when he was just coming through and I remember the intensity he had,’ Haye recalled in an interview with Sportsmail.
David Haye knew Chris Eubank Jr had what it takes to ‘make it’ during an early sparring session
‘Remember, I’m the heavyweight champion at the time and he was a middleweight, I think he was an amateur, and he was really, really going for it.
‘He was in there sparring with George Groves, so I did a few rounds with both of the fighters, and I remember thinking “he’s got it”.
‘He was really looking for the big shots, he was thinking, he was slipping [shots], and I remember just thinking, “he’s gonna make it this kid”.’
Eubank Jr, now a seasoned professional with 31 wins and two defeats on his record, is gearing up for one of the most crucial outings of his career against bitter rival Liam Williams in Cardiff on Saturday night.
Haye, then world heavyweight champion, was left impressed by the middleweight’s intensity
Eubank is now a seasoned professional on the cusp of a second world-title opportunity
Toppling the Welshman in his own backyard would leave him on the cusp of a second world-title opportunity, having suffered defeat when he locked horns with Groves for the WBA super-middleweight strap in 2018, and go a long way in justifying Haye’s forecast.
The first crack at world honours against Groves ended in disappointment largely because of the stubborn, self-righteous attitude he exuded at the time. Without an official coach guiding him in the corner, Eubank, reluctant to take on board much advice in those early days, thought he knew best and ultimately paid the price for such naivety.
Fast forward four years and that is no longer the case, with four-weight world champion Roy Jones Jr, an all-time great of the sport, now navigating the career of Eubank Sr’s offspring.
He has one of the biggest tests of his pro career in store against Williams this weekend
But the 32-year-old has none other than four-time world champion Roy Jones Jr in his corner
Haye believes Eubank has become a much more ‘patient’ fighter under Jones’ guidance
Jones has been working with Eubank Jr for the best part of two years now and the pair enjoyed as many victories together in 2021; first earning a wide points decision over Marcus Morrison in May, before stopping Wanik Awdijan inside the distance five months later.
And despite some criticism over Eubank’s fluidity and rhythm in those wins, Haye has spotted improvements already.
‘Over the years Roy Jones Jr has been one of the masters of timing, rhythm, setting traps, using his natural athleticism and cat-like reflexes. Chris Eubank Jr has a lot of those attributes; he’s got the movement, he’s got the speed, he slips shots and he’s got that granite chin,’ he explained.
‘So I think it’s a great matchup. I’ve liked what I’ve seen and I’ve appreciated what I was watching. I wasn’t watching someone go out there and try their very hardest to knock someone out, what I saw was somebody who’s an elite, world-class fighter trying something new under the lights with the pressure on and passing with flying colours.
The Hayemaker feels Jones can bring the best out of Eubank’s array of world-class attributes
‘He looked very calm, he wasn’t taking unnecessary punishment, he was picking his shots, and he actually had one stage where he had his opponent (Morrison) in the corner, completely out on his feet, and he could have closed the show. But instead of doing that to get a show-reel knockout, he’s thinking about the big picture, he steps back, he lets his opponent recover because he’s still working on things that he’s been practicing with Roy in the gym.
‘Some guys don’t have the mentality to do that, but he’s a deep thinker, he’s a very smart fighter and it’s not just about getting them out of there, it’s about looking good and it’s about the world-title fights, the big ones. These are the warm-ups in his mind. This is just practicing what he needs to pick up those titles.
‘It was nice to see him being patient. Patience is something I haven’t seen very much from junior.’
Haye’s good friend is the pre-fight favourite heading into his showdown with Williams, whose spirited effort against WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade last year ended in a unanimous points defeat.
Though before that, the 29-year-old had bounced back from consecutive losses against Liam Smith to embark on a seven-fight win streak; rebuilding confidence and propelling himself into the world mix as a result.
Eubank will be expected to see off the challenge of Williams at the Motorpoint Arena
But the Welshman proved he is no pushover in a spirited defeat against Demetrius Andrade
While he is still seeking a career-defining scalp, Williams has already proven he is no pushover at elite level and will fancy his chances of springing an upset in front of 7,500 Welsh fans.
‘I really think a lot of people have written him off completely,’ Haye said. ‘They’re not giving him much of a shout, but he’s a bona fide world-class middleweight.
‘You can put him in with anybody and he’ll give them a hard night’s work, that’s just who he is. And if you’re not top 10 in the world, he’s probably gonna beat you. He really is. He’s that guy.
‘He’s got a great engine, a solid, solid chin and his defence isn’t that bad. He’s got a great punch output, he’s always in tremendous shape. So Chris is gonna need to be on his best form.’
Haye says Williams has shown himself to be a ‘world class middleweight’ in his own right
As he bids to upset the apple cart Williams will be roared on by a home crowd baying for the blood of his flashy, cocksure rival. Throughout his career Eubank, whose extravagant dress sense and assured persona emulates that of his iconic father, has had a tendency to rub people up the wrong way.
He will therefore assume the role of pantomime villain on Saturday night, public enemy No 1 in the Welsh capital, and Haye expects him to relish it.
‘Chris feeds off the energy of the rabid crowd and he’s gonna love it,’ the 41-year-old insisted. ‘He’s gonna love going out there and putting on a boxing display against everybody’s cousin, friend, buddy – everybody there probably knows Williams or has shaken his hand or had a drink with him at some stage – and he’s going in there not only to break Williams’ heart, but to break every single Welshman’s heart out there.
‘He’s the type of guy who likes that kind of challenge and thinks, “I’m gonna go right into your backyard, I’m gonna go there and and whoop your ass in front of all your family, all your friends.”
The former heavyweight champion is expecting Eubank to relish being the away fighter
‘I like that mindset. I had to do it myself when I went to Levallois in Paris to fight for my world title [against Jean-Marc Mormeck], so I’ve been there. Nikolai Valuev, I’ve gone to foreign shores to have my biggest challenges, and it worked out ok for me.
‘If Chris Eubank Jr is the man he says he is, then this really should be, not a formality, but there are levels in this game and Williams has shown against Andrade that it was a spirited effort, it really was, but that’s at that level.’
So who is Haye expecting to prevail at the Motorpoint Arena? He is struggling to look past his close pal.
‘I’d be very, very surprised if Chris doesn’t win this fight,’ Haye said. ‘I think having Roy Jones Jr in his corner will play a massive part.
Haye told Sportsmail he would be surprised if his pal doesn’t come out on top this weekend
He also admitted Williams linking up with his ex-coach Adam Booth makes things interesting
‘Roy has got a great boxing IQ. I’ve spoken with him numerous times and you know when you’re talking to someone and they’re as much as a genius as they were in the ring when they break stuff down for you. He’s got this processing power in his brain where he can tell you something that’s happening in a different way to other people, because he’s telling you it from his own experiences.
‘I had a similar style to him, I kind of based my style loosely on some of the stuff he did, so I get it and understand why the teachings that he’s imparting over to Chris Eubank Jr are gonna be useful.
‘So I’d be very, very surprised if Chris Eubank Jr doesn’t win this fight. I’ll be surprised if he stops Liam Williams, but I think there’s a chance he could do after eight or nine rounds. If it’s a slugfest and they’re going toe to toe I’m confident that the engine of Chris Eubank Jr will surpass Williams.
‘But Williams has got Adam Booth in his corner now, and Adam Booth makes sure that his fighters are in tip-top condition. So it’s two great coaches in both corners, you’ve got two great fighters, very evenly matched… I think this is getting the hype it deserves.’