Eubank wants to do his fans and city proud

Anyone who has seen the famous fight movie will remember the iconic scene when Sylvester Stallone runs through the streets of Philadelphia gathering an army of followers before racing to the top of the stairs of the city’s Philadelphia Art Museum.

Rocky was training for his big fight in the movie with the scene set to a stirring soundtrack of Gonna Fly Now.

Tonight Eubank Jr’s career could take-off to a new stratosphere if he beats Billy Joe Saunders at the ExCel London to be crowned the new British, European and Commonwealth champion in the 19th fight of his perfect career as a professional.

And Eubank Jr has thrived on the support he has got from people in his home city as he pounded the pebbles rather than the pavement in the quest to get in the best shape of his life.

Eubank Jr, 25, said: “I have been walking down the street I am getting people cheering me and saying, ‘ go get him’, it’s great.

“I’ve been running along Hove Lawns and the beach and had people trying to run alongside me.

A famous scene as Rocky Balboa trains in Philadelphia

“I have guys cycling up beside me and others run up beside me and try to get met to stop and have their picture taken with me.

“I have to say, ‘listen I have a time to make here’. But it’s all love and I really appreciate all those people who support me and I am not going to let them down.

“They are really behind me and it is going to make me fight that much harder for those belts.”

While Saunders has been encamped in Spain for his preparation, Eubank Jr has been happy to use Brighton beach to build his stamina.

He said: “I run every week seven miles along the stones from here to the marina and back. It’s a vicious run but you cannot get anything better for strengthening your legs.”

It may not be Las Vegas but if junior’s famous father has his way, Brighton could become a fight capital for Britain with his son at the heart of it.

Asked if his son could become as synonymous with the town as he once was at the height of his fame, former two-weight world champion Eubank senior replied: “He already is synonymous because he’s Chris Eubank.

“But what can you imagine? Let’s bring the world, bring it to the UK but centre it in on Brighton.

“Just the fact I can imagine it and I can see it, well, why can’t we make that happen?”

Eubank senior now champions his son as someone who “can change the game” – an amazing turnaround from when junior first started boxing against his wishes.

Eubank senior admits his son gave him an ultimatum which gave him little choice.

“He said, this is what I am doing and you’re going to support me or you’re not. I said okay then, I am going to support you,” revealed Eubank senior.

Now he says he constantly talks to his son about the fight game and sees something special in him that even he did not possess. He added: “In my view, he has absolutely more talent than me.

“For the reader, how are they interpreting what I am saying? Is this just a doting father?

“It’s not. I am watching him (in the gym) and I am saying I have not seen anything like it.

“What’s good is people are going to see that.”

And Eubank senior believes that junior is worthy of being a British and European champion as opposed to Saunders.

Asked why he does not believe Saunders represent Britain in the best light, Eubank senior told The Argus: “One is his ability to fight. In my view, Christopher’s ability is a far superior level to that of Saunders.

“The other is his conduct as a man. The way in which Christopher behaves is conducive for showing how you should be as a young man.

“Do your work and don’t swear, don’t use bad language, don’t be rude and when speaking about women, don’t be base.

“That’s what Billy doesn’t have and by not having that it exemplifies Christopher’s manners.”

Eubank Jr will set out to teach Saunders some manners tonight and also send his army of fans from the South Coast home happy.

He said: “I am definitely representing my home town, especially after some of the things that Average Joe has said about Brighton. He has been very disrespectful about my city and I am going in there to show that we do not mess around down here.”