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 ‘brawler’ Douglin to expect him to give Groves – who Eubank has also sparred – a good fight.
“He’s a brawler,” Eubank Jnr said. “I 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 wasn’t at my best but it was good because he’s a come-forward fighter.
“It will be a good fight against Groves. If Groves is to beat him then he’s to box him on his jab, like he can do, like I’ve seen him do in sparring.”
The Mayweather Gym was embroiled in controversy when it was depicted as conducting ‘fights to the death’ and 31-minute rounds. But Eubank steered clear of such shenanigans.
“Some of the sparring was the five-minute rounds and the 30-second break but it wasn’t straight through like some of the other guys were doing. I’m not a dog in a cage, I do what I want to do, so everything was controlled.”