By Ian S Palmer
There’s another big British grudge match this Saturday, November 29 at the ExCel Arena in London when Billy Joe Saunders takes on Chris Eubank Jr in a 12-round middleweight tilt. The bout between the pair of undefeated fighters is for the Saunders’ European, British, and Commonwealth Titles and can be seen live in Britain on BoxNation. The contest will also be broadcast in the U.S. on ESPN 3.
The 25-year-old Saunders carries a perfect record of 20-0 around with him along with 11Kos. Eubank is also 25 and undefeated. He’s the son of former British boxer Chris Eubank and will be entering the ring with an 18-0 mark with 13 Kos. Saunders is a former 2008 Olympian who turned pro a year after the Beijing Games. He’s fought 111 rounds as a pro while Eubank, who turned pro in 2011, has 88 rounds under his belt.
Saunders has more experience in bigger fights though since he’s a champion and has gone the distance five times. Neither boxer has fought anybody of note outside of Britain and Europe, so this is a pretty even matchup. Both fighters have good power, but it’s not really explosive. They’re pretty good at wearing opponents down and finishing them off when they see an opening.
They each have their share of stoppages, but also possess good boxing skills. Eubank has 10 straight knockouts though and will be looking to make it 11 against Saunders. It’s not exactly going to be easy though since Saunders has a solid chin. Saunders has faced the better quality opponents even if none of them can be considered world class. Eubank could be his toughest challenge yet since he possesses a pair of fast hands and a lot of athleticism.
One of the biggest factors in this fight could be confidence. Eubank has a lot of it and he’s often viewed as being arrogant, much like Adrien Broner. Eubank’s confidence will just grow and grow if he gets into a rhythm and has some success early in the fight. Saunders will need to make sure this doesn’t happen by pressing the action and keeping Eubank on the back foot. Saunders is a southpaw who needs to make sure he establishes his jab right from the get-go.
Saunders is an accurate and sharp puncher, but he’s going to have to keep his hands up in this fight rather than keeping them down below his waist. It’s also important that he doesn’t underestimate Eubank in any way, as he could be in for a big surprise. Eubank throws impressive combinations with a lot of speed and sting on his punches. He throws them from all angles and has improved each time in the ring. It’s true that he’s a bit of a showboat, but the challenger is also quite intelligent in the ring and is typically far from being predictable.
Prediction
This should be an entertaining and competitive fight for British bragging rights. These guys don’t hide the fact that they don’t particularly like each other and that should make for an emotionally-charged atmosphere in London. They both have the skills to win this fight and but unless it’s a draw somebody’s going to have his arm raised at the end of it. It’s hard to tell just how good both boxers are at this stage of their careers due to the opposition they’ve faced. But basing a prediction on their experience and opposition I’d have to say Saunders will keep his belts by a close decision or late stoppage.
