For almost ten years Chris Eubank Jr. has been chasing big-game names, but at age 35 and off the back of a highly noticeable win against Conor Benn in front of 60,000 at Spurs' stadium, his crosshairs on Saul "Canelo" Álvarez feel more like a navigation map than random noise. Eubank, has rebuilt not only his brand but his belief after scalps over Liam Smith and now Benn as he heads into this fight with a 35-3 (25 KOs) ledger and undeniably increasing crowd support.
Money has always defined the Canelo lottery, but perhaps timing is the real currency. Álvarez turns 35 next month and he has Terence Crawford waiting for him in Las Vegas on September 13. Shouldn't the Mexican champion overcome the pound-for-pound maestro? He will be in need of fresh motivation, and Eubank's combo profile, style and Saudi funds checks plenty of boxes when time's foot is slowing but hands are still firing.
Watch Eubank Jr. vs. Benn highlights: Watch
Manager Elliott Amoakoh, told talkSPORT - and sitting right next to Eubank - admitted talks are already delineating between the two fighters, Turki Alalshikh has alleged earmarked Eubank-Canelo should two minor obstructions clear: if Álvarez beats Crawford, and Eubank then doubles down against Benn in an autumn rematch. "Like I said, we get through Benn then we want Canelo," Amoakoh commented as though they were just settling numbers to a simple prize-fighting equation.
Of course, nothing about this sport is linear, and Eubank once waved away a contract to face Golovkin in 2016, and Crawford is hardly a nice collision for anyone, even if he's a bigger champion. However, sometimes circumstances can create scripts, that even ego can't erase.
Get to know more about Chris here.
Image Credit: PBC