Spike O’Sullivan’s trainer, Paschal Collins, claims that mind games will be a big factor in his fighter’s clash with Chris Eubank Jr, as they were in his brother, Steve’s 1995 fight with Jr’s father, Chris, now wishing to be known simply as, ‘English.’
For that fight, the ‘Celtic Warrior,’ Collins, famously employed the services of a sports psychologist, though led English to believe he was under an intense hypnosis that would lead him to be unrelenting on the night, actions that led to unsettling English in the build up to such a degree that he had wanted to pull out.
No doubt ruffled, English dropped the decision that night, and Paschal Collins claims Spike needs to employ a bit of what his brother did mentally, referencing Irish MMA fighter, Conor McGregor – also known for his mastership of pre-fight mind games – as another example of how to own an opponent before a punch is thrown.
“[English] won most of his fights before he even stepped into the ring. He would get to people mentally with his demeanour, his entrance and all that,” Collins said via Irish-Boxing.com.
“My brother Steve had seen it all before. He’d seen mind games all the time when he was in the States and he beat Chris at his own game.
“When I say mind games, it will play a part in Spike’s success. Spike reminds me of Conor McGregor. Conor is very good at what he does – he gets into people’s heads and their minds. It really affects them and bothers them and I think Spike has done the same with Chris Eubank Jr. He has been doing it for a while and it’s working,” he added.
O’Sullivan and Eubank Jr have been embroiled in a war of words across social media for some time, with a recent fan-campaign to get the fight signed no doubt a gift to promoters Matchroom, who recently unveiled Jr as their new signing, 25 years after Eddie Hearn’s father, Barry, promoted ‘English’ in his prime.
The two will meet on Dec. 12 on the Anthony Joshua/Dillian Whyte bill in London.
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