Q: This was a man that like yourself applied philosophy to his fighting.
Do you have any thoughts on the man, the legend?
Eubank: Yes, that perhaps unconsciously in watching "Enter The Dragon", in about 1974 having bunked into a movie theatre in Kingsland High Street, Stoke Newington. The little bit I saw that time maybe unconsciously he taught me to be an original and to go with my own artistic licence.
Q: Bruce Lee of course was the guy that promoted the one inch KO punch.
I always remember Chris that whilst 99% of the time in the ring you were a great boxer there was this silly LONG looping right hand that you occasionally used to throw that rarely connected with its intended target.
The first fighter that I noticed countering it well was Ray Close who had obviously seen tapes of you and was tactically waiting for it. He usually countered with about 3-4 good short punches rat-a-tat-tat.
Was it just the case that the LONG looping punch, whilst not a good offensive punch was good entertainment for the fans to watch.
Eubank: The punch may have looked silly and indeed made me look ungamely most of the times. But for every 100 times I threw it, it connected once and the fight was always over.
Q: Analysing Bruce Lee's style. Do you think you could have beaten Bruce Lee when you were at your peak?
Eubank: Well if he had boxing gloves on, then it would be a different fight. It depends on what arena we are in. If it is a boxing arena and with gloves then the dynamics of boxing is always the same. So a little good one finds it very difficult to beat a good big one.
Q: Hi Chris
firstly may i say that you were and still are a legend,you were the first Fighter i ever payed to see in the flesh Vs Wharton (Manchester Gmex 93)
I caught most of your career on TV and loved watching you.Thank you for the Memories(u also encouraged me to start in the amateur game i retired after 6 fights W5 D1)
Anyways down to the questions:-
Who would you have liked to have fought but didnt due to poilitics or other circumstances??
Also who was your boxing idol?Who influenced your style and the way you fought?I know thats gonna be a tough question as you were unique in your style
Thanks man U r still Simply The Best
Eubank:
My style came from my personality. I didn't really look up to any other men, i had the viewpoint if a man can do it, I am a man so why can't I do it? I followed words of inspiration. Bob Marley was more influencial to me he inspired me to be the best I can.
Q: Do I not remember you once saying Chris that the best way to become a good boxer was to look at all your favourite fighters and then mould their best qualities into YOU. Thus you are not treating one fighter as your role model. You are extracting the best bits of others.
Eubank: Correct.
Q: So what great fighters make up all your best qualities then Chris?
Eubank: As a philosophy, I have actually pointed out to people over the years you take the best parts of and the techniques of other fighters and try to make them your own. Of course I had to copy people in order to learn, but those people I admired. Those people were Dennis Cruz, who you would not have heard of. He was a gym fighter, he had perfect balance.
I admired greatly the jab of Thomas Hearns, but I wouldn't say my jab was like his. I admired it but I didn't have the same body structure he had, so mine was different. My style more or less was my own.
Q: Hiya Chris,
You will no doubt cringe just seeing the subject title. What is your opinion on the way that Caroline Aherne aka Mrs Merton handled the interview?
I confess I have watched her show before with other guests and been amused but you two didnt really hit it off. She was taking the piss quite a lot but I guess thats just the style of show that she does.
Did you not know what kind of interview it would be before you went on or do you think that she was just plain insulting?
My personal opinion is that the show just wasnt suited to your personality.
Mind you you just about coped on "They Think its all over". Whats your opinion on shows like that where 'Taking the Mickey' is order of the day? Can you laugh at yourself generally?
Eubank: I prefer to have people not laugh at me. People laughing with me is fine.
The Mrs Merton show, the only thing I could do was to be dignified and not to say anything. I was asked a question which was rude and had a sexual innuendo, that some people didn't actually get. If you had any kind of decency or dignity about you, you would not ask such a question. I did a little too well the years I was fighting to be asked such a question "how does it feel to be licked around the ring?". The sexual innuendo meant I could not answer the unreasonable question anyway, so to actually say nothing, which is what I did, was the only dignified way in which I could deal with such foolishness really. So the way I conducted myself during that interview was the right way. I was not sure of how or what tact they would use to get the laugh, because as far as I was concerned at the time what could they possibly use, you know I'm a stand-up proper person. So perhaps actually to go and say those things that she said or use the tact that she used. Ok it was a tact, yes it was for a show where people rib each other, so I expected something but I didn't expect that. I think I handled it, the only way it could be handled without embarrassing myself or getting up and walking out, so I think I handled it perfectly well.
(more to come..)
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