When Harlem Eubank left the ring after outclassing and stopping Timo Schwarzkopf last December, the 31-year-old appeared to have plenty of options available to him.
The thought of not boxing for 12 months would have been inconceivable.
Initially, it looked like Eubank’s steady improvement had gotten him into a high profile, high stakes super lightweight fight with Adam Azim.
The fight was originally set for June but postponed when Azim picked up an injury. When rumors about a potential October date petered out, Eubank, 19-0 (8 KOs), finally gave up on the idea and decided that he had to move on with his own career.
Rather than allowing boxing politics to knock him off track, Eubank stayed disciplined and decided to do everything in his power to ensure that when his moment did arrive, he would be ready to pick up exactly where he left off.
After building his reputation at 140lbs, Eubank finally returns to action this Friday night when he takes on France’s Nurali Erdogan, 16-3 (1 KO), at welterweight and is intent on showing people exactly what he has spent the past year working on.
“It’s craziness, this boxing journey. You’ve just got to stay true to it and stay in the gym, stay working on your craft and when it’s showtime, everyone will see,” Eubank told BoxingScene.
“I’m one of those fighters that, in terms of a training camp, I live the life, so I’m in the gym every day regardless if I’m fighting or not. Having to adapt repeatedly to certain dates and things like that where you have to push and then hold back and push again, that process has been difficult, but I’ve got through the other side. I’ve got a date and now I’m just ready to go in there and perform.
“I’ve been in the gym for the last 12 months after a statement performance against Timo Schwarzkopf. I’ve honed in for the last 12 months, so I’m a way better fighter now than I was back then and it’s time to go in there and show that now.”
When Eubank and his team sat down to plot his next move after beating Schwarzkopf, Erdogan’s name wouldn’t have appeared on a shortlist of potential opponents.
The experiences of the past year have taught him not to expect anything from the sport. Eubank now knows that, from now on, he needs to do all he can to control his own destiny and make himself unavoidable.
The best way to do that is by winning fights and although a fight with Erdogan may not offer him much in terms of career advancement, it gets him back in the ring and back in front of the cameras.
It is time to be selfish.
“One-hundred per cent. It’s not about anyone else. It’s evident I want to fight the best in the division,” he said.
“It’s about going in there and making a statement whoever it’s against and setting up them big fights. Obviously, the division is hot at 147lbs and 140lbs in America and domestically. We want all the big fights.
“The Garcias, the Haneys, the guys over there in America making noise. We want all those fights too. Obviously, we’re working towards world title contention, world title winners.
“We want the fights that push us closer to them. We’re open to all the big fights that get people excited in 2025. That’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Eubank knows that the likes of Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney operate in a different league to Erdogan. They are also in a totally different class to Schwarzkopf. If Eubank is to make his way into world class next year he will need to get back to winning ways this weekend and then take large, calculated risks.
With that in mind, he has spent his year away from the ring wisely, sparring different styles, working on his weaknesses and preparing himself for the next level.
“I’ve been preparing for different things, obviously different fighters and in doing that you’re sharpening your skills in a variety of different ways,” he said.
“When you get in the ring you see different styles, you see different heights, different physiques. It’s always about honing your skills so you’re prepared for a variety of different things that can present themselves in a fight. It’s the fighters that can adapt to different things that are the best fighters in the world.
“That’s what we’ve been doing over the last 12 months, sharpening different areas. Now, I’m a more complete fighter this side of the 12 months. I’m ready to go in there and make a statement.”
Whilst, for Eubank, this weekend is the first step on the road back, it is the biggest night of Erdogan’s career. Whereas Eubank has been restricted to gym work, the Frenchman has been busy this year and the fight will be his fourth in eight months.
The hard training and plentiful sparring should eliminate the chance of ring rust eroding his performance but Eubank knows that he is likely to face a fired up, determined challenger and will need to click quickly back into his groove.
“I want to get in there and get a feel for it again and set up big fights next year,” he said.
“ I think he’s going to bring what he always brings with an extra 10 per cent. As I always get, I think he’s shown he’s tough.
“He’s never been stopped. He’s got a solid record. He’s a former French champion. He’s a solid competitor. I think he’s going to bring that on the night. He’s going to bring not 100 per cent, but 110 per cent to try and stake his claim.
“That’s what I’m ready for. It’s going to be an exciting fight.”
Eubank does have the chance to take something of a shortcut back to prominence this weekend. Rather than coming back on a streaming platform where his appearance would only be noted by the sport’s hardcore fans, he will headline Channel 5’s latest live show. His appearance against Schwarzkopf generated record numbers for the terrestrial channel and an eye-catching win over Erdogan would generate plenty of attention.
“It’s a beautiful platform to be on. Live on Channel 5, you reach the terrestrial viewers. You get some people that are tuning in for boxing, some people that just discover it and stay tuned in,” he said.
“You get to introduce yourself to a completely different audience. The numbers are massive. Last time we did a record two plus million viewers. It’s time to go in there and reintroduce myself to those viewers.”
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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