Last November, Harlem Eubank seemed poised for lift-off.
In front of a massive terrestrial television audience in the UK, and a packed arena in his coastal hometown of Brighton and Hove, the unbeaten 30-year-old produced a career-best performance to stop the solid Timo Schwarzkopf in 11 rounds.
It was the type of showing that proved the improving junior welterweight was ready to join the likes of Adam Azim and Dalton Smith at the top of the ultra competitive, newsworthy British scene.
He hasn’t boxed since.
Even earlier this year, things looked to be moving in the perfect direction. Eubank’s growing profile allowed him to cut through the red tape that had held up a fight between Azim and Smith and jump straight into an attractive looking fight with the former.
The fight came together surprisingly quickly and was originally scheduled for June 15th. An injury to Azim delayed the fight and it eventually disappeared into the ether.
Azim instead agreed to fight Ohara Davies, Eubank was left ruing a wasted year and having to create new plans.
After entering 2024 in the form of his life, Eubank’s momentum has ground to a halt through no fault of his own. On November 22nd, he will return to action as a welterweight against France’s Nurali Erdogan, 16-3 (1 KO).
Although he has put the disappointment and frustration of the past year behind him, Eubank can’t shake the feeling that he has been used.
“Yeah, of course. Of course I do,” Eubank, 19-0 (8 KOs), told BoxingScene.
“It’s boxing politics. I try not to get too involved in it because it can demotivate you. As a fighter, you just need to be able to focus on what you’re doing in the gym and then go in there and perform.
“Obviously, the politics around boxing, it’s kind of evident. It’s one of those things I try and blank out and just try and refocus myself now to go in there and start making some noise up at 147lbs. This next fight, the first fight up there, against a guy who’s a former French champion.”
Eubank would have been happy to stay down at 140 for a major fight with Azim or Smith but, at the same time, he would have been fighting against the messages his body was sending him.
With IBF champion, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, talking about moving up to 154lbs in search of bigger challenges and bigger paydays, the welterweight division could well turn into a free for all with a whole host of fighters keen to prove themselves as the man to beat.
The move from junior welterweight is one of the bigger jumps in professional boxing. The 147lb division is home to naturally bigger men boiling themselves down from much higher weights.
As well as Eubank boxed against Schwarzkopf, he believes that he can be even more effective as a welterweight and he is eager to join the party.
“I think after the last fight, there was a lot in that fight that showed me maybe 147lbs was the way to go to now. Obviously, my uncle [former world champion, Chris Eubank Snr] was vocal about it, that I should be a 147lb fighter now. I think you learn as you go,” he said.
“We’re not forecasting yearly plans. With the weight, you take it one fight at a time. See how your body reacts.
“There were some signs after the last one that suggested my body had potentially outgrown 140lbs but, again, the big fights can still be made. There can still be leeway to adapt for the big fights.
“I think my body is constantly adapting and growing. I definitely feel stronger. My physique is different than it was 12 months ago.
“I feel a lot stronger already. Energy-wise, I feel good. Obviously, in fight week, you’ve got the weight cut and things like that. You learn even more, but I think it will be the strongest version of myself that we’ve seen so far.
“It’s all there to play for. It’s all there to play for.
“It’s a good, solid test. I plan on going in there and making a statement and setting up a big year next year. It’s a great division, 147lbs, and I’m still open to the big fights at 140lbs.
“Domestically and globally, it’s a great division to be in. I’ve shown, based on my last performance, I’m ready to be up there in the mix of all of them. We plan on making that happen in 2025.”
Eubank is quietly spoken and prefers to let his actions speak for him but the past twelve months have reiterated to him that the opinions of anybody outside of his inner circle matter little. From hereon-in, Eubank is going to dance to his own tune. The only way to truly avoid boxing politics is to perform well enough to rise above it and become the man calling the shots.
That process begins against Erdogan.
Returning from a long lay-off can be a tricky process.
Fans tune in expecting to see the fighter click immediately back into gear, reporters will rake up old graves and bring up the past and those pesky rivals use the performance to either reinsert themselves back into their orbit or remove themselves entirely from the conversation regarding a potential fight.
Eubank will also be competing at a new weight and will be learning and understanding how his body reacts to making weight, how well he refuels and how strong he feels when faced with a fighter who has regularly boxed at over 150lbs.
Despite everything, Eubank isn’t planning on feeling his way back into action. He wants to use Erdogan to reintroduce himself.
“I’ve been out of the ring a long time and people have a short memory in this game. Every fight I go in there, I plan on making a statement,” he said.
“If you look at my last performances, every time I step up, I go in there to make a statement and make some noise and show people what I’m about. That’s always the agenda. I don’t go in there to mess around.
“I’ll go in there to show people what I’ve been doing every day in the gym for 12 months straight.The sacrifice, everything you go through as a fighter leads up to them rounds in the ring where you really get to show people what you’re about. That’s what I plan on doing on fight night.”
John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79
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