Chris Eubank facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chris Eubank
Eubank in 2005
Statistics
Nickname(s)	Simply the Best English
Rated at	Middleweight Super-middleweight Cruiserweight
Height	5 ft 10 in
Reach	73 in
Born	(1966-08-08) 8 August 1966 (age 59) Dulwich, London, England
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	52
Wins	45
Wins by KO	23
Losses	5
Draws	2

Christopher Livingstone Eubank (born 8 August 1966) is a famous British former professional boxer. He competed from 1985 to 1998. Chris Eubank held important boxing titles, like the World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight and super-middleweight championships, from 1990 to 1995. Many people consider him one of the best British super-middleweight boxers ever.

He was a world champion for over five years and didn't lose any fights in his first 10 years as a professional. He was also never defeated in the middleweight division. His exciting fights against other British boxers, like Nigel Benn and Michael Watson, made boxing very popular in Britain during the 1990s. Chris Eubank was known for his unique personality, which made him a well-known celebrity.

In his last two years of boxing, he fought against Joe Calzaghe to try and win back his WBO super-middleweight title. Calzaghe, who won that fight, later said it was the toughest of his career. Eubank's very last fights were against Carl Thompson for the WBO junior-heavyweight title. These were very tough matches. In their second fight, Eubank was stopped for the only time in his career.

Chris Eubank was known for being very brave in the boxing ring. He could take many strong punches from his opponents and still keep fighting to win. People often said he had a "granite chin" because he was so tough. He was also famous for his confident and sometimes showy style. He would speak and dress in a fancy way and even vault over the ring ropes when he entered. His son, Chris Eubank Jr., is also a professional boxer.

Early Life and Boxing Start

Chris Eubank was born on August 8, 1966, in Dulwich, South London. He lived in Jamaica from when he was two months old until he was six. After returning to England, he lived in different parts of London, including Stoke Newington and Peckham. These areas were often quite poor.

He went to several schools and was suspended many times. When he was 16, his father sent him to New York in the U.S. to live with his mother. He lived in the tough South Bronx area.

Starting Boxing in New York

In New York, Chris Eubank found a new path. He started training at the Jerome Boxing Club. He became very dedicated to boxing, going to the gym every day and working there to pay his way. In 1984, he won the Spanish Golden Gloves Tournament. He also reached the semi-finals of the main Golden Gloves tournament at Madison Square Garden when he was 18.

Eubank has said that he was driven to succeed in boxing because he wanted to be accepted. He made his first professional boxing appearance shortly after his 19th birthday. After several fights, he started to gain attention in 1989 when he beat Anthony Logan. Eubank then made Brighton in England his home and aimed to fight Nigel Benn, believing he could win.

After a series of wins, Eubank won the WBC International title in 1990 against Hugo Corti. Later that year, he knocked out Renaldo Dos Santos in just 20 seconds.

Becoming a World Champion

WBO Middleweight Champion

Chris Eubank won the WBO middleweight title against Nigel Benn in a very memorable fight in 1990. It was a tough battle that ended when Benn was stopped in the ninth round. Eubank successfully defended his title against Dan Sherry, Gary Stretch, and Michael Watson. He won against Watson by a close decision. After this, Eubank had a perfect record of 28 wins and no losses as a middleweight.

WBO Super-Middleweight Champion

A second fight with Michael Watson happened in September 1991 for the vacant WBO super-middleweight title. This fight was very dramatic. Eubank was behind on points, but he knocked Watson down in the 11th round. Watson got up, but Eubank continued to punch, and the fight was stopped in the 12th round. Sadly, Watson suffered a serious injury after the fight. This event deeply affected Eubank, and he thought about quitting boxing.

After the Watson fight, Eubank's style changed. He didn't try to knock out opponents as much, preferring to win his fights by points. He successfully defended his super-middleweight title many times against boxers like "Sugarboy" Malinga, John Jarvis, Ron Essett, Tony Thornton, and former World Champion Lindell Holmes. He also fought Juan Carlos Giminez Ferreyra and had a draw with Ray Close.

Eubank vs Benn II

Nigel Benn also moved up to super-middleweight and became the WBC champion. Eubank and Benn agreed to fight again in 1993 to unify their titles. This second fight, called 'Judgement Day', was exciting but less brutal than their first. It ended in a draw.

After the Benn fight, Eubank defeated Graciano Rocchigiani from Germany. He then signed a big deal with Sky Sports for more fights. Eubank made five more successful title defenses, beating British contenders Henry Wharton and Sam Storey, as well as unbeaten boxers Dan Schommer and Mauricio Amaral Costa.

Losing the Title to Steve Collins

In March 1995, Chris Eubank lost his WBO super-middleweight title to Irish boxer Steve Collins. Collins won by a unanimous decision. The film One Night in Millstreet is about this famous fight.

Eubank won a fight against Jose Ignacio Barruetabena to get another chance at his old title. He also won against Bruno Ruben Godoy. A rematch with Steve Collins took place in Cork, Ireland, where Eubank lost again by a very close decision. He announced his retirement in October 1995 but quickly returned in 1996, winning against Luis Dionisio Barrera and Camilo Alarcon.

Calzaghe vs Eubank

In October 1997, Joe Calzaghe was set to fight for the vacant WBO super-middleweight title. Chris Eubank stepped in with only 11 days' notice to fight Calzaghe. Eubank was knocked down twice and lost on points. However, he gained more popularity for finishing the tough fight against a strong opponent.

Moving to Cruiserweight

After this, Eubank gained more weight and challenged Britain's Carl Thompson for the WBO cruiserweight title. Eubank knocked Thompson down in the fourth round but couldn't finish the fight. Thompson won by a close decision after 12 rounds.

A rematch was quickly set up three months later. This was Eubank's last fight. Eubank started well, but an injury to his left eye from the first fight caused it to swell shut. The fight was stopped at the end of the ninth round because Eubank couldn't see. He was ahead on points at the time. This was the only time Eubank was stopped in his entire 13-year professional career.

Chris Eubank ended his boxing career with 45 wins (23 by knockout), 5 losses, and 2 draws.

Life After Boxing

Chris Eubank became known for his unique personality outside the ring. He often spoke in a fancy way and dressed in unusual, upper-class clothing, sometimes including a bowler hat and a cane. In the early 1990s, he was even made into a puppet on the TV show Spitting Image. He appeared in commercials for brands like Nescafé and McDonald's.

He also owned some very interesting vehicles, including a huge American truck. At one point, he owned the only Hummer in Britain.

In 1994, Eubank bought a large building in Brighton and used his own money to turn it into 69 flats for people who didn't have homes. The building was later sold for new development.

Eubank appeared on several TV shows. In 2001, he was on the first series of Celebrity Big Brother. In 2002, he was the subject of a documentary called When Louis Met...Chris Eubank. He also had his own radio show called Eubank's People.

Chris Eubank and Michael Watson became friends after their second fight. In 2003, Eubank joined Watson for the final mile of the London Marathon, which Watson completed to raise money for charity, despite his injuries.

In 2015, Eubank took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, a reality TV show. He also appeared with his son, Chris Eubank Jr., on Celebrity Gogglebox in 2019 and 2021. In 2023, he was a contestant on the Channel 4 show Scared of the Dark.

Public Actions

Chris Eubank has sometimes used his truck to display messages about important issues. In 2003 and 2007, he was arrested for protesting near Parliament Square in London. He displayed messages about the war in Iraq.

In 2005, Eubank became the first ambassador for GamCare, a charity that helps people with gambling problems. He also started designing tailored suits for a company called Cad and the Dandy in 2010.

Family Life

Chris Eubank and his first wife, Karron, had four children: Christopher Jr., Sebastian, Emily, and Joseph. He also has an elder son, Nathanael Wilson. His son Sebastian, who was also a professional boxer, sadly passed away in 2021. Chris Eubank is also the cousin of English media personality Mica Paris.

In 1992, Eubank was involved in a car accident where he lost control of his car, which resulted in the death of a building site worker. He was found guilty of driving without due care and attention. In 2014, Eubank married his manager Claire Geary, but they divorced in 2017.

In 2015, Eubank started using his father's nickname, "English," to honor his father and to help people tell the difference between him and his son, Chris Jr., who was starting his own boxing career.

Professional Boxing Record