Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan: Fight Time, Date and TV Info

Chris Eubank Jr. and Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan will settle their war of words in the ring when they go toe-to-toe in London's O2 Arena on Saturday.

The two middleweights clash on the undercard of the heavyweight clash between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. However, the chief support act has the potential to steal the show.

The rivalry stems from social media. Via Sky Sports, Eubank Jr. claimed, "He [O'Sullivan] has been stalking and harassing me on Twitter for about three years straight."

Now Spike has the opportunity to do more than just goad the Englishman in 140 characters or less.

When: Saturday, December 12, 9:45 p.m. GMT (4:45 p.m. ET)

Where: O2 Arena, London

TV: Sky Sports Box Office (UK—pay-per-view channel)

Like Father, Like Son

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In many ways, Eubank Jr. (20-1, 15 KOs) is a chip off the old block.

Like Chris Eubank Sr.—or "English," as the former world champion now wants to be called—he has the ability to wind people up. And like his father, he is also unfazed by criticism.

His next fight might also reveal if he inherited his father's chin. Not his actual chin, but the ability to take a punch.

O'Sullivan (22-1, 15 KOs) cannot hope to win by outboxing his rival, but his 15 knockout victories to date suggest he has the power to pose the odd problem, provided he can land enough shots.

However, Eubank Jr. is adamant that he won't get the chance to land much at all, via Matchroom Boxing:

"

He’s dug himself a very deep hole and he’s not going to be able to get out of it.

No fight is simple, but he is not the man to beat me. He’s one dimensional and he’s not got enough in his armour to beat me.

The gravity of the situation he’s in has slowly begun to dawn on him in the build-up, he’s going to step into the ring with me tonight; the pressure has got to him.

"

The 26-year-old is the current interim WBA champion. A 21st career win would move him a step closer to a shot at the man who currently holds the full title, American Daniel Jacobs.

Another option could be to target the winner of the December 19 bout between WBO champion Andy Lee and Billy Joe Saunders, the only man to beat Eubank Jr. in the paid ranks so far.

First, though, he has to deal with O'Sullivan, who angered his opponent by planting a kiss on him at the weigh-in.

Still, that wasn't the biggest problem for Eubank Jr. Choosing to wear just underpants and gloves on the scales, he ended up coming in just over the 160-pound limit. But Sky Sports' Ed Robinson revealed on Twitter that there were no issues on the second attempt.

Knockout Potential

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Like Eubank Jr., O'Sullivan's only professional defeat was at the hands of Saunders. He was second-best throughout the bout in 2013, losing by a long way on the scorecards.

Since then, however, the fighter from Cork, Ireland, has reeled off six straight victories. Of those bouts, five took place on American soil.

Judging by his opponents' records, they were also of a mixed standard. Melvin Betancourt was 29-1 as a pro, but O'Sullivan flattened him inside two rounds in May.

Eubank Jr. is several levels above anyone O'Sullivan has faced since being outclassed by Saunders. Yet the underdog (Odds Shark price him at 4-1) has the benefit of having a world champion in his corner, too. 

Steve Collins—whose brother Paschal trains O'Sullivan—believes he can help master another win over a Eubank (he twice defeated Chris Sr. in 1995), via Jamie Casey of the Irish Post:

"

I think Spike will be better prepared for the fight because he’s got a great training camp and he’s got very wise coaches.

I see him landing some of his big power shots on Chris Eubank, which Eubank hasn’t experienced before. But the experience Spike has can be used to his advantage.

He’s going to be a lot fitter and has to be ready to knock him out in every round.

"

Collins hinted at the tactics for O'Sullivan. The 31-year-old has to be willing to lose a few rounds on the scorecards in the hope of sticking around to land one blow that turns the fight in his favour.

After all the Twitter talk, it is time for the Irishman to deliver on the big stage.

Prediction

The bout should be explosive, however long it lasts.

O'Sullivan will try to make it as scrappy as possible. If he can drag Eubank Jr. into the trenches, he'll increase his chances of causing an upset.

For his part, Eubank Jr. must forget about his pride and stick to his skills. If he remains at long range and sets a high tempo, he will prove too much for O'Sullivan to handle.

The favourite will come out on top: Eubank Jr. will triumph by stoppage in Round 7.