‘Spike’ collides with Eubank Jr in heated WBA title eliminator
Published:
Lee Gormley | December 8, 2015
Chris Eubank Jr v Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan
- WBA middleweight title final eliminator
- Saturday, October 12th
- Scheduled for: 21:00 GMT
- O2 Arena, London
- Live on Sky Sports Box Office
Eubank Jr and ‘Spike’ end war of words
Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan will put his verbal feud with Chris Eubank Jr to rest on Saturday night in the O2 Arena ring, as the Irishman finally comes face-to-face with his long-standing rival as part of the packed-out undercard in London.
‘Spike’ (22-1, 15 KOs) has been involved in an ongoing war of words with Eubank Jr (20-1, 15 KOs), but the pair will end the talking this weekend in a WBA middleweight title eliminator, with the victor setting himself up for a shot at world champion Daniel Jacobs.
Cork-born fighter O’Sullivan, who recently spoke to us at Coral ahead of his latest bout, carries an impressive knockout ratio into his London match-up, having stopped 15 of his opponents prematurely and none of his last five fights have gone beyond three rounds. The Irishman is 11/2 to maintain that rampant streak with another stoppage win over middleweight prospect Eubank Jr.
O’Sullivan to test Eubank Jr’s chin
The 26-year-old previously declared that his chin could withstand anything that ‘Spike’ lands on him, with his father Chris Eubank Snr having been well renowned for his ability to withstand huge blows, but O’Sullivan plans on testing out his opponent’s bold claims early.
“He’s starting to sound as eccentric as his father. I think he’s deluded,” stated the Irishman. “He’s been built up, his confidence is sky-high from what his dad has been blowing into him and I think I’ll be deflating him on December 12.
“When I hit him, he will soon be changing his opinion on that.”
Despite travelling to London to challenge for a crack at the WBA champion Jacobs, who earlier dispatched Peter Quillin in the first round of their world title bout, ‘Spike’ feels he will have the majority of support, having previously already fought at the O2 Arena and Wembley Stadium.
“He obviously has the Eubank name, so there is going to be a bit of pressure on him anyway, but he carries on like a bit of a plonker and he’s very arrogant and disrespectful for the fans and has a persona about him,” continued O’Sullivan.
“He’s unbelievably arrogant and cocky and I just think he’s a pretty dislikeable guy. I think the majority of people would like to see me win.”
Eubank Jr wants to punish ‘Spike’
With such a promising opportunity awaiting the winner of this grudge bout, Brighton bruiser Eubank Jr has vowed to punish his Irish foe for his pre-fight insults, and he is 7/2 to earn a points decision victory.
“I’ve trained like an animal, like a barbarian, and this guy is going to feel the full force of my training on December 12,” Eubank Jr declared.
“For me boxing isn’t a personal thing, it’s a business, it’s a sport, it’s something that I do because I love the sport. For him, he’s used social media, Twitter, Facebook – to put it lightly – to be extremely disrespectful towards me to try and get underneath my skin.
“Over the last three years, he’s been doing this, so that’s why it’s a grudge match, that’s why I’m putting so much training and effort into this one – because this guy needs to be punished for what he said.”
Will someone’s night end early?
With both world title hopefuls ready to go all out in the early stages of their awaited meeting, O’Sullivan is 12/1 to stop his opponent in rounds 4-6, while Eubank Jr is 9/2 to halt proceedings within the first three rounds, in a contest which could set either contender up for a career high in 2016.
Before the heavyweight showdown between Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, O’Sullivan and Eubank Jr will first collide, aiming to come out on top in this long-running feud and push towards a WBA middleweight title shot next year.
Related
Read our boxing archive.
See who else is involved in an exciting undercard this weekend.
