Every time there’s a big name without an opponent, boxing seems incapable of leaving it alone.
This week, it’s Edgar Berlanga calling out Chris Eubank Jr. On paper, it’s an eye-catching fight. Berlanga gets the chance to face one of Britain’s biggest boxing names, while Eubank would return in a fight that would generate plenty of interest on both sides of the Atlantic.
There’s just one problem.
Chris Eubank Jr hasn’t even confirmed he’s coming back.
That feels like a fairly important detail, yet much of the conversation has skipped straight to whether the fight should happen.
Surely the first question is much simpler than that.
Will Chris Eubank Jr ever fight again?
Boxing Loves To Look Ahead
This isn’t a criticism of Edgar Berlanga.
If you’re a fighter looking for the biggest opportunity available, calling out Chris Eubank Jr makes perfect sense. He’s a recognisable name, he still attracts huge audiences and a victory over him would do wonders for Berlanga’s career.
That’s how boxing works.
Fighters call each other out every week in the hope that one of those opportunities becomes reality.
The problem isn’t Berlanga making noise.
The problem is how quickly everyone else starts treating the fight as though it’s only a matter of contracts and dates.
As things stand, it isn’t.
Chris Eubank Jr Has Made Nothing Clear
Following his rematch with Conor Benn, questions were raised about Chris Eubank Jr’s health, and he has given no firm indication that he’ll step through the ropes again.
Until he says otherwise, every potential opponent is just speculation.
That doesn’t stop social media.
It doesn’t stop promoters.
And it certainly doesn’t stop fans putting together dream fight lists.
But perhaps it should make us pause for a moment.
Before discussing who Chris Eubank Jr should fight next, shouldn’t we first know whether there will even be a next fight?
At 36, What Does He Have Left To Prove?
This is the question I keep coming back to.
Chris Eubank Jr has enjoyed a long career.
He’s fought at the top level.
He’s headlined major events.
He’s earned plenty of money and built a profile that most fighters could only dream of.
At 36 years old, what exactly does he need to prove?
If he feels healthy enough to return and the hunger is still there, then that’s entirely his decision.
But if he decides the risks outweigh the rewards, I don’t think anybody could argue that he hasn’t already had an excellent career.
Not Every Call-Out Becomes A Fight
We’ve seen this countless times before.
One fighter calls out another.
The headlines appear.
Fans debate the matchup.
Then nothing happens.
Sometimes the call-out is genuine.
Sometimes it’s about creating publicity.
Sometimes it’s simply about attaching your name to a bigger star.
Only Edgar Berlanga knows his true motivation, but whatever it is, it has certainly achieved one thing.
People are talking.
Whether that conversation ever leads to a signed contract is another matter entirely.
Let’s Wait For The Most Important Decision
I’d be interested in seeing Chris Eubank Jr against plenty of fighters.
Edgar Berlanga is one of them.
But only if Chris Eubank Jr actually wants to box again.
That decision is far more important than any opponent.
Until we hear from Eubank himself, everything else is simply noise.
Boxing is always in a rush to announce the next big fight.
Sometimes it would be better to slow down and wait for the fighter at the centre of the story to decide what they actually want.
Final Bell
Edgar Berlanga has every right to chase the biggest fights available.
There’s nothing wrong with that.
What feels strange is how quickly parts of the boxing world have begun discussing Chris Eubank Jr’s next opponent when we still don’t know whether he’s got another fight in him.
If Chris Eubank Jr returns, then by all means let’s debate whether Berlanga is the right choice.
Until then, I think the conversation is getting ahead of itself.
Sometimes the biggest story isn’t who comes next.
Sometimes it’s whether there should be a next fight at all.
Join the Conversation
Do you think Edgar Berlanga is genuinely targeting Chris Eubank Jr, or is this simply a smart way of keeping his own name in the headlines? More importantly, should boxing wait until Eubank confirms his future before talking about potential opponents?
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