5 Potential Opponents for Chris Eubank Jr. Following Win over Gary O'Sullivan
Chris Eubank Jr. made sure he had the last word with fellow middleweight Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan.
Having been taunted on Twitter for several years and then kissed at the weigh-in, Eubank Jr. did the majority of his talking with his fists on Saturday.
The Englishman dominated the bout at the O2 Arena in London, although O'Sullivan somehow stayed on his feet throughout.
In the end, Spike's corner pulled their man out of the fight after Round 7.
Per James Dielhenn of Sky Sports, the pair ended their feud. Eubank Jr. said, "Afterwards I asked him to apologise for the kiss and he apologised, so I shook his hand. The beef is squashed."
The win leaves Eubank Jr. with a 21-1 (16 KO) record.
Chris Eubank Sr.—or "English" as he now likes to be known—was at ringside to see his son triumph. It seems Jr.—skilful in the ring while oozing self-confidence out of it—could be a chip off the old block.
So, what's next for the 26-year-old? Here, Bleacher Report looks at five potential opponents for his next fight.
5. Gennady Golovkin
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This is a sneaky suggestion, based on putting two and two together and coming up with five.
According to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, both Gennady Golovkin and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will be allowed to have "interim bouts" before they meet in a huge showdown later in 2016.
Rafael added, "[Tom] Loeffler [Golovkin's promoter] told ESPN.com that Golovkin (34-0, 31 KOs), 33, a native of Kazakhstan who lives in Los Angeles, is penciled in to fight in March or April on HBO against an opponent to be determined."
Now, Eubank Jr. has often talked about the idea of facing Golovkin at some stage in his career.
With GGG needing an opponent in March or April, could the Englishman suddenly get an unlikely opportunity? Probably not, but GGG's camp does have the current interim WBA champion on its radar.
Promoter Loeffler told Phil D Jay of World Boxing News, "Chris Eubank Jr. is doing well and is increasing his profile in the UK all the time, so I could definitely see him as a future fight for GGG."
4. Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam
2 of 5Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam (21-2, 18 KO) may be a random name to appear on the list, but he would make sense for several reasons.
Born in Cameroon but now based in France, the 31-year-old has only lost to David Lemieux and Peter Quillin, two former world champions at the weight limit, on points.
Eubank Jr. wants to mix it up at the top, so a test against an experienced opponent such as N'Dam N'Jikam would seem to be a step in the right direction.
The former interim WBA champion is tough yet seemingly lacking in power.
He has a career knockout ratio of 55 per cent, and eight of his last nine fights have gone the distance.
N'Dam N'Jikam is really just a suggestion, but he is the kind of opponent Eubank Jr. and his team should be looking at, provided they cannot get a title fight for early in 2016.
3. Billy Joe Saunders
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The one blemish on Chris Eubank Jr.'s professional record came at the hands of Billy Joe Saunders (22-0, 12 KO).
The points defeat in 2014 still rankles with Eubank Jr. He started slowly and left himself with too much to do in the second half of the fight, resulting in the split-decision loss.
It appeared at one stage as if the pair might be set for a rematch earlier in the year, but negotiations broke down between the two sides.
Saunders is now preparing to take on reigning WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee in Manchester on December 19.
If the undefeated southpaw takes the title, unification bouts will become his major priority. However, a defeat to Lee could open up the possibility of another clash with Eubank Jr.
It seems Saunders is keen to do it all again, per Boxing News 24: "If he [Eubank Jr.] has the balls to fight again, which I doubt, I would happily hand him another beating but this time in even more convincing fashion."
The two fighters might want to get it on, but would the promoters? Eubank Jr. is now with Eddie Hearn, while Saunders has worked with Frank Warren.
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2. Nick Blackwell
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If Eubank Jr. has to wait for a crack at a world title, how about becoming British champion instead?
The Lonsdale belt is currently in the possession of Nick Blackwell. He collected the strap with a thrilling win over John Ryder in May and has successfully defended it twice since then.
A tough competitor, Blackwell (19-3-1, 8 KO) has never shied away from a challenge. The 25-year-old took on Martin Murray in just his ninth professional bout.
Like Eubank Jr., he also has a points loss to Billy Joe Saunders on his record.
The opportunity to become national champion seemed to appeal to Eubank Jr. in the immediate aftermath to his win over Gary O'Sullivan.
Boxing Monthly tweeted, "Eubank Jr. said in post-fight press conference that he would consider fighting Nick Blackwell for British title if [Daniel] Jacobs fight not immediate."
1. Daniel Jacobs
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As interim WBA champion, Chris Eubank Jr. should be next in line for a crack at the full belt, currently held by Daniel Jacobs (31-1).
The American dismantled compatriot Peter Quillin inside a round on December 5 to retain his crown. It was the 28th KO victory of his career.
With regards to facing Jacobs, Eubank Jr. told Sky Sports News HQ: "There's a lot of politics, but the fight will happen within the next year or six months. That is my dream, to become a world middleweight champion and Jacobs is the man they are going to put in front of me and he's not going to get in my way."
Despite the Englishman's confidence, Jacobs is a huge final hurdle to clear on the path to winning a world title.
Only Dmitry Pirog has beaten him, and that solitary loss came back in 2010. Since then, Jacobs has overcome a life-threatening form of bone cancer to become a world champion.
The 28-year-old—nicknamed "Miracle Man"—does not need to travel to earn good money either, thanks to his connections with adviser Al Haymon.
He will have to defend against Eubank Jr. at some stage, though it remains to be seen if a deal can be struck for the bout to take place early in 2016.
Could Eubank Jr. beat Jacobs and become a world champion? Would he get the better of Billy Joe Saunders the second time around?
Let us know your thoughts via the comments section.
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