Harlem Eubank never inherited a red carpet - just the famous surname. For a decade the Brighton stylist toiled in dimly lit leisure centres, racking up wins while cousin Chris Eubank Jr. headlined arenas. That apprenticeship, he insists, was “character-building,” forging the 31-year-old into the 21-0 (9 KOs) contender who now lands Saturday’s headline slot against Jack Catterall at Manchester’s AO Arena.
The education paid visible dividends in January when Eubank battered Tyrone McKenna into submission at his Brighton homecoming, a performance he calls “a statement.” Trained by Charlie Beatt, he credits those tough years for hardening both mindset and skill set. “Doors were closed, so I learned to kick them down,” Eubank says. “I wouldn’t trade that path for the world - it made me the fighter I am.”
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Victory over Catterall, the slick southpaw who owns wins over Jorge Linares and Regis Prograis, would catapult Harlem into world-title contention and, he hopes, the marquee fights in the United States that once seemed reserved for others. “Jack’s one of the best at 140, and beating him proves I belong with the elite,” he declares.
Whether the long road from small halls to big lights culminates in a coronation or a learning curve, Eubank enters Saturday convinced his time has arrived: “Momentum’s rolling, belief is sky-high, and I’m ready to kick down one more door.”
Image Credit: DAZN