Chris Eubank Jr. Opens Up About His Grief, Living In His Father's Shadow & His Future | E159

Chris Eubank Jr opens up to Steven Bartlett about being raised in comfort yet choosing boxing's hardship, and about being banned from the gym by his father who doubted he was tough enough. He explains his philosophy of mental fortitude, recounting a brutal technical-sparring beating in Cuba that taught him never to quit. He discusses living in his famous father's shadow, his strict and unaffectionate upbringing, and why he keeps himself emotionally ice-cold to perform. He shares deep grief over the sudden death of his brother Sebastian in Dubai a year prior, including his one life regret of not visiting Seb when he had the chance. He closes on handling online trolls, the business of being a boxing villain, brain training, and why his career is far from complete.

• His father banned him from boxing gyms for years, insisting he wasn't tough enough and should stick to athletics and studies.
  00:03:13
• In Cuba a heavyweight Olympian beat him so badly he was knocked out of the ring onto concrete, but he chose to climb back in and finish all three rounds.
  00:12:01
• He says he has cried only twice in twenty years: once at age 12 and again when his brother died last year.
  00:33:40
• His late brother Sebastian trained him on the bags in Dubai before Chris even fully knew who he was, asking for no money.
  00:42:28
• His one life regret: he secretly passed through Dubai months before Seb's death and chose not to see him.
  00:48:42
• He now considers his late brother's son Raheem as his own son and wants to have a child so they can grow up together.
  00:51:21
• He has fought opponents into comas, including Nick Blackwell who had to be revived with an adrenaline shot.
  00:55:32
• He firmly states his career is not complete, calling the next few years his 'money years' to fight and beat the best.
  01:10:40

• He argues most world champions come from poverty and broken homes because they have no other option but to win.
  00:05:48
• He believes boxing is 70-80 percent mental, with grit and the courage of the ring walk being harder than the fight itself.
  00:07:21
• His father deliberately named him Chris, the same as himself, making it harder for him to build his own identity.
  00:19:16
• He describes meeting one fan as actually meeting a thousand people through a 'spider web' of shared stories and karma.
  00:27:00
• He says staying ice-cold rather than angry actually makes him a more effective, accurate fighter.
  00:34:11
• At college he once brought a baseball bat to school searching classroom to classroom for a rival, and credits not finding him with saving his boxing career.
  00:39:19
• His brother died of a heart attack roughly a month after the birth of his son Raheem, who looks just like him.
  00:46:09
• He caught COVID and couldn't fly to Dubai for Seb's funeral, which under Muslim tradition required quick burial.
  00:47:11
• He notices worsening recall with age, once taking a full week to remember a single name.
  00:56:37
• He reframed trolling as profitable, noting hecklers who buy tickets and pay-per-view actually pay his percentage.
  01:06:32