Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Tom Doran: Fight Time, Date, TV Info and Preview
Chris Eubank Jr. makes the first defence of his British middleweight title against Tom Doran at the O2 Arena in London on Saturday.
The bout is part of the undercard to Anthony Joshua's IBF title defence against fellow unbeaten heavyweight Dominic Breazeale.
Eubank Jr. (22-1, 17 KOs) is back on Sky Sports after teaming up again with promoters Matchroom. His last outing, when he claimed the Lonsdale belt by beating Nick Blackwell, was aired by Channel 5.
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As for Doran (17-0, 7 KOs), he is a former Prizefighter Tournament champion who was last seen knocking out Luke Keeler at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England, on April 2.
When: Saturday, June 25, 8 p.m. BST (3 p.m. ET)
Where: 02 Arena, London
TV: Sky Sports Box Office (UK)
Domestic Duties
Eubank Jr. returns to the ring for the first time since his dramatic fight with Blackwell on March 26.
Blackwell, the defending champion, was stopped on the advice of the ringside doctor during Round 10 due to a large swelling above his left eye. He subsequently collapsed in the ring and was placed into an induced coma. Thankfully he made a full recovery, although his boxing career is now over.
It was something of a surprise to see Eubank Jr. even competing in a British title fight in the first place, considering he had previously been the interim WBA champion.
Daniel Jacobs is the governing body's regular champion. However, Eubank Jr. has set his sights on the man at the very top of the list.
Gennady Golovkin is deemed to be the WBA's super champion—and talks have already taken place about a potential bout between GGG and the Englishman later in the year.
Eddie Hearn, Eubank Jr.'s promoter, told Sky Sports News HQ: "We're in a position now where we haven't agreed terms but we're well on the way to agreeing terms with Golovkin for a September fight with Chris Eubank Jr."
While he waits to see if a money-spinning clash with Golovkin materialises, Eubank Jr. has chosen to remain busy by facing domestic rival Doran.
The 26-year-old could have been using the bout as a tuneup for an appearance at the 2016 Olympics.
However, even though pros are now permitted to participate in the Games, GB Boxing rejected the idea of Eubank Jr. being part of their squad in Rio, Brazil.
Challenging Times
Welshman Doran has a chance to ruin Eubank Jr.'s plans in what is undoubtedly the biggest fight of his career to date.
Since being crowned Prizefighter champion in February 2015, the 28-year-old has stopped Mike Byles, Rod Smith and Keeler.
The question is, while he can deliver a punch, can Doran take one?
He's been dropped to the canvas three times in his career, including by Keeler last time out in a contest that packed plenty of drama into four minutes and 37 seconds of action.
Yet Blackwell—who came close to fighting Doran at one stage during his career—believes the challenger should not be underestimated.
The former British champion told James Dielhenn of Sky Sports: "He [Doran] could make himself big-time if he beats Eubank Jr. and he's got the potential to do it.
"He's a very good fighter even though people don't know too much about him. He's a good boxer, he hits hard and he had great fight against Luke Keeler who is a very good boxer as well."
There was some needle between the two camps at Wednesday's media conference in the English capital.
Chris Eubank Sr.—who is never afraid to speak his mind or steal the spotlight—ended up in a heated dispute with David Coldwell, Doran's trainer, and Conor Benn, the son of long-time rival Nigel.
The two fighters kept their cool in front of the press, all the while knowing they will get the chance to do their talking in the ring at the weekend.
Prediction
If Eubank Jr. believes he can contend with Golovkin, he should be dealing comfortably with Doran.
The champion dominated against Gary O'Sullivan and Blackwell in his last two fights, yet struggled to find a way to force a stoppage. That is a concern ahead of a potential world-title challenge.
However, he won't have any problems winning in a hurry this time.
Expect Eubank Jr. to be celebrating before the 12-rounder reaches the halfway point, although the bout should be fun for however long it lasts.
Bleacher Report will be running a live blog to cover the action at the O2 Arena. Join us for updates from 8 p.m. BST (3 p.m. ET).
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