Chris Eubank Jr. and Billy Joe Saunders: The Odd Couple Who May Need Each Other

Just one week ago, Chris Eubank Jr. was on the brink of sealing a fight against Gennady Golovkin.

The British middleweight champion was braced to take on the biggest name at 160 pounds. GGG was even happy to give the Englishman home advantage, with the O2 Arena in London confirmed as the venue.

All Eubank Jr. and his team needed to do was iron out a few details during negotiations. Check the small print. Dot the i's and cross the t's. Whatever phrase you want to use, the deal was seriously close.

That contract has now finally been signed...by Kell Brook.

While Eubank Jr. dithered and dallied, missing promoter Eddie Hearn's deadline in the process, Brook jumped in to face Golovkin.

Now The Special One—a welterweight who will step up two divisions in a bid to become a two-weight world champion—is the one preparing for the biggest night of his career so far.

While Brook seized his opportunity, Eubank Jr. can now only wonder what might have been. Really, what should have been. If he was a Formula One car, the 26-year-old basically led from pole position for the entire race, only to be overtaken on the final lap while too busy thinking about his victory speech.

He lashed out on social media at both Golovkin and Brook:

However, he should perhaps look closer to home to vent his anger.

Hearn told Nick Parkinson of ESPN.co.uk that, in the end, the Eubanks—father Chris Eubank Sr. plays a significant role in his son's career—had only themselves to blame for missing out on GGG: 

"

It was so frustrating. It was the crazy demands that meant the fight could not happen for Eubank Jr. against Golovkin. They think it's negotiations but it's not a bluff when I say it's 24 hours to sign the contract. They were given a deadline and they chose not to take the fight.

They wanted full operational control of the promotion. They were even asking things from Sky Sports like 'We want these commentators', which is ridiculous.

I feel for Eubank Jr. because I don't think he knows what's going on and he was going to earn three or five million pounds. They have to understand that it's not playing a game.

"

So, after thinking he was all set to go up against Golovkin, now Eubank Jr. has to come up with a back-up plan. The problem is, though, whoever he faces next is going to be an anticlimax.

He still has the Lonsdale belt, so he could make a second defence of his British crown. 

Perhaps, just perhaps, there would be the chance to appear in a domestic bout on the undercard to Golovkin-Brook, with the carrot dangled of a shot at the winner.

Eubank Jr. is still keen to take on the unbeaten Kazakh fighter, according to his Twitter account:

But what if he considered going down a different route, instead choosing to return down a familiar path?

Billy Joe Saunders is the only man to have beaten Eubank Jr. in the paid ranks to date. The former is the WBO champion who also previously held talks with Golovkin, albeit without getting close to striking a deal.

Saunders has been inactive since taking the WBO belt from Andy Lee in December.

There was a scheduled first defence against Max Bursak set for April 30, but a hand injury put paid to that.

The 26-year-old southpaw is now preparing to fight on Sept. 17, according to his Twitter account.

That is the same date as Liam Smith's WBO super welterweight title defence against Saul Alvarez. Per John Dennen of Boxing News, the plan is for Saunders to face the winner (at middleweight).

Yet the rivalry with Eubank Jr. continues to simmer away in the background. Opposites attract, and they are definitely chalk and cheese.

Alex Morton/Getty Images

Saunders, who is a member of the Travellers community, represented Great Britain at the 2008 Olympics. He is a slick boxer who relies on his skills to prosper, yet there is a feeling he always does just enough.

Eubank Jr., in contrast, is a gym rat whose demeanour treads a thin line between confident and arrogant. It's in his genes to be that way though, and he really doesn't care what you think about him.

He certainly rubs Saunders up the wrong way, and the world-title holder couldn't resist taking a shot at his old foe after the Golovkin near-miss. He told Phil D Jay of World Boxing News: "Let’s get it straight, Chris Eubank Jr. is a time waster—plain and simple. If I say I'm going to fight someone I do it."

Surely, somewhere down the line, these two contrasting characters have to meet again, right?

Their first battle, for the British, Commonwealth and European belts back in November 2014, saw Saunders triumph via a split-decision verdict.

After weathering a late storm, Saunders got the nod from two of the judges. The other had Eubank Jr. the winner, but the general consensus was he had given away too many early rounds before rallying in the second half of the contest.

Per Ben Dirs of BBC Sport, Eubank Jr. said afterwards: "It was a close fight. He [Saunders] did what I thought he would do. He boxed to plan in the early rounds but then I thought I overtook him. But I'll be back."

The outcome provided more questions than answers. Why didn't Eubank Jr. start as he finished? Had Saunders taken his foot off the gas because of his healthy lead, or simply ran out of steam?

It helps create interest that the pair simply do not like each other—in his interview with Phil D Jay referenced above, Saunders branded his compatriot "a coward who still sits on his dad's knee."

Rather than sit around and wait for opportunities against Canelo or Golovkin, Saunders and Eubank Jr. could just instead settle an old score by facing each other again.

Contractual obligations could hold up the bout—Eubank Jr. still has one more fight on his promotional deal with Matchroom—but it could still happen before the end of 2016.

Perhaps it's just wishful thinking, but Eubank Jr. and Saunders—the odd couple who cannot get along—are a match made in boxing heaven.