Chris Eubank Jr on why 'only ever being Eubank's son scared me'

When Chris Eubank Jr made his debut as a professional boxer in 2011, he attracted huge interest.

But much - if not all - of it was not because the 21-year-old was a promising young prospect or an emerging talent; it was because he was the son of one of Britain's greatest boxers.

Two-weight world champion Chris Eubank accompanied his son to the ring that night in Manchester, and watched him cruise to an early stoppage victory.

'Junior', as he was often known back then, let his father do much of the talking. He was a serious young man, distrustful of the media and acutely aware of the scorn he attracted.

"When I first started out, I was so hell bent on proving people wrong, showing that I could fight," he says.

Many doubted he had the appetite to fight, let alone could hope to match the achievements of his father.

"I knew I needed to stamp my own mark into history, into the boxing world, into life," he says.

"I knew that if I kind of just coasted and did whatever I wanted to do and didn't take anything seriously then that's all I would be. 'Oh that's Chris Eubank's son.' That's what I'd be for the rest of my life.

"That scared me."

Eubank Jr surged to an 18-0 record as a pro before his first defeat - by Billy Joe Saunders in 2014. He then won eight on the bounce before falling short against George Groves in his first world title fight.

Now he takes an eight-fight winning run into Saturday's bout with Liverpool's Liam Smith in Manchester.

Two defeats in 34 fights would represent an admirable career by most standards. Eubank has gone far beyond what was expected of him and now, at 33, is a seasoned pro determined to add world honours to his record.

And he is a changed man in front of the cameras - far more open and playful than his often surly younger self.

"At the beginning I found it very difficult to separate the Chris Eubank Jr in the ring to the Chris Eubank Jr in the street," he says. "They were the same guy.

"But you've got to understand, you've got to lighten up. People don't really want to be around a guy that is super serious all the time.

"To be honest, I didn't want to be around it. It wasn't fun not being able to laugh and mess around and joke because I wanted to give off this warrior vibe everywhere I went.

"I learned to separate the two guys."

It is also noticeable too that, in recent years, his father has taken a step back from having been at every news conference, every fight night, in the corner and among every celebration.

'Junior' had been happy for him to hold court, answer questions and occupy the limelight. But as time passed, things changed.

"It became too much," he says.

"I would see it. 'He doesn't go anywhere without his dad.' As a man, it kind of gets to you. My dad was great, he is great, but I'm great too.

"Let me show my personality. It's very hard to do that when you have a huge personality like my old man right next to you talking.

"When I realised that, I said to him: 'You're going to have to give me some space in certain areas.' He understood and we're great. We're still close."

Eubank had been set to fight Conor Benn in October, but that bout had to be cancelled.

The rivalry with Benn - conjuring up memories of the times their fathers met in the ring in the 1990s - catapulted Eubank's star even further.

Indeed he came to be seen as the 'good guy' when Conor failed two drug tests, which caused the cancellation of the fight the day before it was scheduled to take place.

Eubank thinks he has been the "bad boy" for most his career, but believes the tide may have turned - though he appreciates he will never convert everyone.

And while he says he does not need the money that would come with winning a world title, should he never claim one there would be a void.

"Would it keep me up at night if I retired without winning a middleweight world title?" he asks. "Yes. I can do it. I can beat these guys."

Retirement is not on his mind, he says, and he does not subscribe to the suggestion he needs silverware to truly step out of his father's considerable shadow.

He considers it a job already done.

"I've done too much to be 'the son of'," he says.

"I am still the son and I always will be. But people are not coming up to me because I am the son of Chris Eubank, they're coming up to me because of what I've done and who I am.

"And that's really all I wanted from the beginning."