Chris Eubank Sr experienced firsthand the rise to glory and the exit from the scene after a prodigious sporting career. The former middleweight and super middleweight world champion was deeply saddened by the news of the death of his fellow countryman Ricky Hatton and wanted to make an appeal for greater attention to the well-being of fighters after their retirement. We report his words in full:
“I mean what can I say, it’s a great loss for boxing. You have a man on him who carried the nation for a while in terms of pride and standards.
“In terms of boxing, he was a tremendous fighter.
“You make world champion and you become a standard bearer for the people, you have people who look up to you and follow you.
“Being world champion, fighters are not trained to become public figures and I think we need to look at having a back-up system for fighters in many respects.
“It’s a tremendous amount of pressure that goes upon a man who wins the world championship, where the entire world, especially the country are looking at him and what he stands for.
“As I knew Ricky, I knew him as a lovely, happy go lucky, jocular, fun, man of the people.
“I was born into a spiritual family, so I’ve always had a back-up, I’ve always replied on the spirit that lives within.
“When I retired I went to the spirit, I effectively walked around for a bit, but effectively the spirit looked after me. But for fighters, they don’t teach us about it.
“I’d just like to say this, Millie, Fearne and Campbell you should be proud of your father.
“The shoes he walked in, you never know how hard it is to walk in those shoes.
“That man, it’s tremendous what he did. For where he came from, for who he is, tremendous.
“I would like to add this last thing, all you promoters, all you broadcasters, please look after the fighters.
“It is a vocation unlike any other, a punch in a ring, it hurts, brain damage happens.
“Promoters, broadcasters… we have to find a way to look after fighters when they retire.”