Chris Eubank Sr comes across as the picture of confidence but has admitted there is one man he could never beat.
Eubank Sr was a fierce competitor and part of a legendary collection of fighters who lit up world boxing in the late 80s and 90s alongside Nigel Benn, Steve Collins, Michael Watson and Carl Thompson.
It was Benn he beat by KO to pick up the WBO world middleweight title in 1990 while drawing the rematch three years later, and soon their sons come to blows to carry on the generational rivalry.
Sr eventually moved up to super middleweight and beat Watson for the WBO strap but lost the title to Collins four years later, failed to win it back in a rematch and ended his career with three losses against Calzaghe and Thompson, twice.
Despite seemingly taking on all comers, speaking on his own YouTube channel, Sr admitted the one man he knew he could never beat was James Toney.
“I boxed because I wanted respect from my brothers. I was intelligent, so James Toney, if he came into my purview, if he was a number 1 contender for my title I would then have to fight him. Because he was a champion in his own right he was never a contender.
I wasn’t going to unify against him because I don’t see how I could beat him. I’m glad that Nigel Benn was my advisory, that he was the one, I’m glad it wasn’t James Toney. I wouldn’t have dodged them but I couldn’t see a way to beat James Toney, you can’t beat guys like that, you just can’t beat them.”
American Toney held world championships in three weight classes from middleweight to cruiserweight and also had two failed attempts to become a world champion up at heavyweight.
