- Harlem Eubank has tragically lost two family members in recent years
- He believes he has become a “better fighter” after going through dark periods.
- He is also backing his cousin to convincingly beat Conor Benn next year.
Harlem Eubank is determined to put the ‘dark periods’ of his life behind him when he returns to the ring for the first time in a year on Friday night.
In July 2021, his cousin Seb suffered a fatal heart attack in Dubai and died at just 29 years old. Two years later, Harlem’s father, Simon, died at age 61 after a battle with dementia.
There is no set way of dealing with the loss of loved ones, but Harlem is determined to carry the spirit of Seb and Simon with him to his fight with Frenchman Nurali Erdogan in Newcastle.
The 31-year-old fights for more than just himself and believes that the motivation to make his late father and cousin proud only makes him a more dangerous fighter.
“Anything in my personal life, I’ve used it to push my boxing and motivate myself to really perform, and I used it to get stronger,” Harlem explained to Mail Sport.
‘I know that anything in my personal life in terms of my family, they will be close to me wherever I am, especially in the ring on fight night. I know they are close to me. I think it makes me a better fighter.
Harlem Eubank (left) lost his cousin Seb (right) to a fatal heart attack in 2021
Harlem’s father, Simon (right), died last year after a battle with dementia.
Harlem believes he is better and stronger after losing his cousin and father in recent years.
“The more passion, the more fuel you have, the better you will be in the ring because it is a place where everything is visible and your character shines.”
Harlem’s last fight came just two months after his father’s death, when he stopped Germany’s Timo Schwarzkopf in the 11th round last November.
It has been a frustrating 12 months since then for the Brit, who has waited patiently for a fight date but is now focused on making up for lost time as he tries to maneuver himself into position for a world title shot.
“After a standout performance last November, now is the time to return and establish those world title aspirations for 2025,” Harlem said. ‘That’s why we’re here and that’s what we’re going to do.
“I think I always try to entertain and try to make a statement and judging by my previous performances, I think I’ve achieved that.” I don’t think Friday night will be any different.
Of course, Harlem isn’t the only Eubank on the British boxing scene at the moment. His cousin, Chris Eubank Jr, remains one of the biggest names in the sport and looks set to finally fight Conor Benn next year.
The pair were due to meet in October 2022, only for the fight to be called off at last notice after Benn failed two drug tests.
Benn’s doping suspension was lifted earlier this month, and he looks likely to jump up to middleweight to challenge Eubank Jr after going toe-to-toe with him following his rival’s recent victory in Saudi Arabia.
Benn has spent most of his career at welterweight and Harlem feels the size factor makes the clash with Eubank Jr a “mismatch”.
Harlem believes proposed fight between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn is a ‘mismatch’
Harlem impressed in his last outing against Nico Schwarzkopf (pictured) and wants to fight Benn himself putting on a show on Friday night.
Harlem says a showdown with Benn would be a “genuine fight” as they are both natural welterweights
He has asked Benn to have a “genuine fight” with him instead of facing Eubank Jr.
When asked his opinion of Eubank Jr and Benn entering the ring, Harlem dismissively replied: “It’s a fantasy fight and a mismatch.” Chris will demolish it.
‘The genuine fight will be at 147. I understand that people want to see that confrontation in fantasy form because it can’t be a real fight. Chris is a completely different animal. When you’re ready to fight, 147, that’s where you can fight.
‘In real boxing, you fight in your weight class. A celebrity match and a fantasy fight is more what it would be because Chris is a completely different league to Conor Benn.
Watch Harlem Eubank’s return to the ring, live and free on Channel 5 at 10:30pm on Friday.