WHILE out in Floyd Mayweather’s Las Vegas gym in September, Chris Eubank Jnr sparred Denis Douglin, the little-known American who takes on George Groves in Liverpool on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old, currently preparing for the biggest test of his career against Billy Joe Saunders on November 29, saw enough in โbrawlerโ Douglin to expect him to give Groves โ who Eubank has also sparred โ a good fight.
โHeโs a brawler,โ Eubank Jnr said. โI actually sparred him the day I got off the plane so I was jetlagged and then when into four-round war with him. Obviously I wasnโt at my best but it was good because heโs a come-forward fighter.
โIt will be a good fight against Groves. If Groves is to beat him then heโs to box him on his jab, like he can do, like Iโve seen him do in sparring.โ
The Mayweather Gym was embroiled in controversy when it was depicted as conducting โfights to the deathโ and 31-minute rounds. But Eubank steered clear of such shenanigans.
โSome of the sparring was the five-minute rounds and the 30-second break but it wasnโt straight through like some of the other guys were doing. Iโm not a dog in a cage, I do what I want to do, so everything was controlled.โ