FRUSTRATION reigned at today’s press conference to announce the middleweight title grudge match between champion Billy Joe Saunders and challenger Chris Eubank Jnr. The pair were set meet on the huge November 29 Excel Arena show topped by the Tyson Fury-Dereck Chisora rematch, but the situation became clouded at the media event at Frederick’s restaurant in Islington.
Promoter Frank Warren revealed that Eubank and his father, Chris Snr, had not yet signed for the fight, despite long and fraught negotiations. Saunders is unhappy to say the least. “I booked flights to go away for camp, hired a nutritionist,” Saunders bemoaned. “If he hasn’t signed by 5pm today I’m moving on. I won’t wait around for bums. I think he hasn’t got the bottle, he knows he’ll get beat. I haven’t got the time to keep wasting on him.”
Warren supported his fighter’s stance. “Give the British public what they want or we’ll move on,” said the promoter who revealed Eubank Snr only conveyed his team’s reservations 10 minuted before the presser began. “We have another fight lined up for Billy on the bill if we need it.”
