Reports in Germany say the Chris Eubank Jr-Arthur Abraham fight, which was making the rounds a few days ago, is on for July 15 at The SSE Arena. Further reports (thanks, World Boxing) say a big presser will take place soon to officially announce the fight; which is set to go out on the ITV pay-per-view platform Eubank signed on to back in February of this year.
A good fight, an interesting fight, this one will mark a step up for the former British middleweight champ who, in his last fight in February moved up to capture the lightly regarded IBO strap at 168. Eubank Jr. will defend this belt against the seasoned Abraham.
Abraham, 46-5(30) is no longer the force he was when he was IBF middleweight champ and then a “Super Six” participant in 2007 to 2009, but he remains a formidable fighter. Can Eubank Jr, 24-1(19) beat Abraham, in what proves to be a case of excellent match-making on the part of his team, or will the veteran have too much for him? Already, knowledgable fight fans have stated how this fight looks for all the world like a definite distance fight. Who will do enough to get the decision win?
Abraham has won his last two, he is rarely stopped, and he has an absolute ton of pro experience. Certainly this fight is a step up from the likes of Renold Quinlan and the brave but outgunned Nick Blackwell. Eubank certainly deserves credit for taking this, a potentially tough fight; the kind he perhaps should have been involved in a year or two ago.
It will also be interesting to see how many buys this fight gets on ITV, the Box Office platform Eubank exclusively fights on. Abraham will likely look at Eubank as nothing too much to worry about, having been in with so many big names, facing just about every style there is. This is a solid fight, the kind Eubank needs if he is to realise his potential. Aside from his fight with current WBO middleweight champ Billy Joe Saunders (which Eubank of course lost via decision) the duel with Abraham has to be looked at as the biggest fight/test of the outspoken Eubank’s career.
If he can manage a win, especially a stoppage win, Eubank will be on his way to making believers out of quite a few fans and critics. Then again, if the still dangerous Abraham stops Eubank, where will he go then? Again, this really is a risky fight for both men.
