Chris Eubank Jr displayed a newly-acquired poise as he dissected Marcus Morrison to claim a one-sided unanimous decision victory in May in what was his first outing under the stewardship of the legendary Roy Jones Jr.
The 32-year-old, now entering the prime years of his career, will look to show continued progression as he returns to the ring against Anatoli Muratov, a late replacement, on Saturday night, with a December mega-fight the target.
Eubank Jr has made a step towards the elite on two occasions during his 32-fight career, falling short both against Billy Joe Saunders and more recently George Groves. But Johnny Nelson, who has been fascinated by conversations with Jones Jr in the build-up to the event, insists the sky is now the limit for the enigmatic boxer.
Chris Eubank Jr (left) takes on late replacement Anatoli Muratov (right) on Saturday night
Eubank Jr strolled to a unanimous decision victory over Marcus Morrison back in May
‘I bumped into Roy Jones Jr and the way he spoke about Chris told me so much more than Chris himself ever could,’ Nelson told Sportsmail.
‘If someone like Roy Jones Jr can be inspired and enthused by somebody and put his name to them… it’s a big shout, because if Chris looks bad then he looks bad.’
Eubank Jr’s frightening fundamentals have been there for all to see throughout his career. A chin many could only dream of, blistering speed, enough power to have 22 knockouts on his resume and the charisma to generate a healthy fan base; he has the ingredients of a superstar in his arsenal.
It’s tying those attributes together that has proved problematic for Eubank Jr at elite level, who has on two occasions found himself out-boxed by arguably less physically gifted but certainly more savvy opponents.
But in Jones Jr – ironically once a rival of his father – Eubank Jr may have just found some much-needed stability. Having previously bounced from coach to coach, including the likes of Nate Vasquez, Virgul Hunter and training alone, an invested mentor – particularly one with such a wealth of knowledge – could prove entirely fruitful.
It’s a sentiment Nelson certainly agrees with, insisting Jones Jr could provide exactly what Eubank Jr has been missing throughout his career to date.
Eubank Jr is fighting for the second time under the stewardship of boxing legend Roy Jones Jr
Johnny Nelson believes Eubank Jr could flourish under the tutelage of his new trainer
‘There was always something lacking from Chris’ artillery and the decision to get involved with Roy couldn’t be any better,’ he said.
‘Roy will get him to box, use his hand-eye coordination, mix it up with the energy that he already has. I gather that a lot of trainers have struggled to gel with Chris and get his respect in the past. Chris moved himself over to the States to work with him – that shows me the respect is there.’
He added: ‘Roy is supremely confident (in what he sees in Eubank Jr). He said it took time for Chris to understand that it’s not about brute force, it’s a sweet science. I love hearing that because that’s the kind of gym I’m from.
‘When he’s talking to me on a technical level of boxing, the general public might not understand it, but the small things make such a big difference and that’s what Roy is instilling in Chris.’
Nelson believes the signs of a promising partnership were already on show during their first outing.
