British boxer Chris Eubank Jr has cast serious doubt over his future in the sport after posting a concerning video from a hospital bed, revealing a prolonged battle with health issues.
A Worrying Update from Hospital
The 36-year-old Brighton fighter, known as 'Next Gen', took to social media platform X to share the clip, which showed him lying in a hospital bed connected to monitors and surrounded by medical staff. In a candid caption, Eubank Jr stated: “I’ve been dealing with a lot of health issues over the last year and yeah it all finally caught up to me last month.”
He delivered a sobering update on his career, adding: “I will not box again until I’m back to 100 per cent and I don’t know when that will be.” Eubank Jr did, however, pledge to his fans that he would “do everything in my power to make sure that one day, the old me makes a big comeback.”
Health Struggles Follow Gruelling Benn Defeat
This alarming development comes just weeks after Eubank Jr's punishing 12-round decision defeat to his long-time rival, Conor Benn, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November. The rematch followed their first encounter seven months prior in April, which Eubank Jr won.
The fighter's health has been a recurring theme. Ahead of the April bout, he endured a difficult weight cut to the middleweight limit, resulting in severe dehydration. He was subsequently fined £375,000 and spent two nights in hospital undergoing checks.
His performance in the November sequel appeared affected, with Eubank Jr landing 300 fewer punches than in their first fight. After the loss, he admitted to having been “through hell and back” to make it to the ring, though he declined to elaborate on the specific issues.
Calls to Retire and Focus on Fatherhood
In the wake of his defeat, Conor Benn publicly urged his opponent to consider retirement. Benn suggested Eubank Jr now has “bigger things in life” to focus on, notably the impending birth of his twin boys next year.
“He's got more important things to worry about than fighting,” Benn stated. “He's won at life with his two boys and if I was him I would look at his reasons for boxing... It's not down to me to say whether he should retire but he has bigger things in life now.”
Eubank Jr's cousin, Harlem Eubank, also weighed in, telling Mirror Fighting that the veteran of 39 professional fights has “nothing left to prove in the sport.” He praised Eubank Jr's role in spearheading British boxing back to the forefront and suggested he is capable of finding success in other ventures.
The boxing world now awaits further news on the extent of Eubank Jr's health problems and whether the popular British fighter will ever return to the ring.
