Harlem Eubank brings boxing back to Brighton in a major test against dangerous German Timo Schwarzkopf. | dG1fd0U2R3cxa1NaNWs
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Short filmTranscript
00:00 Howling the whole town fight.
00:02 You've wanted it for a while.
00:04 How's it feel?
00:06 It feels great. We're here now.
00:08 Fought on the road a lot, headlined at different cities, different places, traveled a lot.
00:14 Fought in Edinburgh, Newcastle, you know, on big shows and the support on the road has always been good.
00:21 But it feels great to bring something back to the people of Brighton.
00:25 The place that shaped me.
00:28 You know, and for me into the person that I am today.
00:34 And now I can bring back a big fight, a big show for them to the Brighton Centre.
00:39 A place that hasn't had boxing for 30 years.
00:44 The last person to fight there was my uncle 30 years ago.
00:48 On the day I was born, three years before the day I was born, on the same day.
00:55 Like I said before, this feels like destiny.
01:00 It's a bucket list moment for me to bring a fight like this back home and put on a display in front of my people of the South Coast.
01:10 And how are you at the moment? Physically, mentally, how is everything?
01:15 I'm good. I'm good. I'm focused.
01:17 I'm well into camp now and preparing very well to bring a big performance.
01:26 I'm in a good headspace and I'm focused. I'm locked in.
01:33 The level of fight has been moving in that direction. We've been saying it a while, haven't we?
01:37 The level is going up and then it goes up again and up again.
01:40 Do you feel that you're heading in the right direction and this is the fight that again lets you build on and bring even bigger fights?
01:49 Most definitely. There's no doubt about it. This is my toughest test yet.
01:54 This is a guy that's been the distance with fighters like Jack Catterall, who's arguably could have been undisputed.
02:05 This is the direction we're heading. I'm on the world scene and I want the fights that put me in a position for a world title shot.
02:16 That's where we're going. I want the big fights, big domestic clashes and fights that put me in a position for that world title shot.
02:24 Do you think he did better against Jack Catterall than maybe Josh Taylor did?
02:33 Potentially, yes. Styles make fights. Each fighter matches up different but he's showing he's at that level.
02:45 That's what I'm up against and I'm ready to put on a performance and show where I'm at in the sport, how far I've come.
02:54 I'll do it in front of my people of Brighton. It's going to be a special moment for me.
03:00 What do you think it'll be like walking out on fight night?
03:04 Walking out, I'd like to say it's going to feel the same as every other time but it's always going to be different when you're at home.
03:17 You see people you grew up with, everyone willing you on. It's going to be a great atmosphere in there.
03:29 Do you ever stop just to admire where we are?
03:33 All the time. I'll come here every day and soak it up. I like surrounding myself with nature, being in greenery, being on the beach by the sea.
03:46 This is my environment right here. I spend most of my days at the beach by the sea, going in the water.
03:58 When it's cold I test myself with the cold water therapy. This is my natural environment right here.
04:07 Do you think it's fair to say you don't have the mindset of a stereotypical boxer? You mentioned the arts a few times, the culture that you bring up, the idea of veganism.
04:22 It's not your stereotypical boxer. Is that a fair comment?
04:25 I think it's fair to say maybe it's not stereotypical today in the age that we're in.
04:30 But if you look at the past, you look at guys like Sugar Ray Robinson, took up ballet. This isn't something that you would consider a brute or someone that just wants to fight.
04:44 This is an art form. It's a special skill set. If you can find pockets and ways to enhance that, it's about who can be creative and bring that creativity to fruition in a fight.
05:01 The best guys in the sport have done that. I look up to them guys.
05:06 Which boxers do you pick out of history? The Eubank name is something that is always going to come up, but outside of that, which boxers do you take inspiration from?
05:16 You mentioned Sugar Ray Robinson. You're obviously a bit of a historian.
05:20 I take inspiration from fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson, Leonard, the guys that can box and move. They can make it look good. The guys that make you want to get into the sport as a kid.
05:34 The guys you look at and you think, "I want to do that." The guys that bring something a bit different. That's what inspires you to get into the sport. That's what I look up to.
05:46 Roy Jones Jr., Mayweather, obviously closer to this generation. Them guys have done things differently in the ring.
05:56 I look up to them as much as I look up to the old school guys like Ray Robinson, Ali. Even Ali, the things he was doing, he wouldn't be considered a brute or someone that just wants to fight.
06:15 He made an impact outside the ring in terms of what he stood for, his values, and things like that as well. There's more to people than just fighting.
06:32 I think that's the characters that show in the ring to get through certain moments and to really reinforce that it's a craft and an art form rather than just a fight. It's not just a fight.
06:47 Which boxers do you think are the faces of boxing today?
06:52 The faces of boxing today? I would say that a lot of the American guys, especially around my weight class, are heading boxing really in terms of the exciting fights, the exciting matchups to be made.
07:13 I would say there's a lot of guys at the top. Obviously, you'd say Canelo is on top right now as well. Terence Crawford, very big inspiration for me, seeing how he operates and even his character and how that shows in the ring as well.
07:35 There's a lot of great talent to take from today.
07:39 I find it interesting that you mention guys around your weight class because stereotypically, it's been the heavyweights. You mentioned Muhammad Ali a moment ago. A lot of people might say Titan Fury, Anthony Joshua now.
07:53 But the fact that Terence Crawford, Devin Haney, Shakoa Stevenson coming through, do you think a few good wins, you can get to that status? That's not achievable.
08:09 I definitely believe so. I think when I started the sport, I started because I wanted to be the best I could be and I wanted to reach that top level. If I never thought that I could get there, I would have done something else.
08:25 I think it's achievable. It's the hottest division in the world right now. 140 pounds is where the excitement is at in boxing right now. I'm definitely happy I can be a part of that.
08:45 I'm on a crash course since I was 18 years old and I'm getting closer and closer. We're on the same type of fights on the horizon. Just about staying focused.
09:05 I'm at a stage now where I've got my first homecoming fight and this is a big deal. Slowly, slowly, we're taking things off the bucket list. Look how beautiful it is here.
09:19 I'm excited to bring boxing back here. Even today, doing some press, it's nice to be home and walk along the beach filming. It's special.
09:35 The next step is in Brighton, here in my hometown. Timo Schwarzkopf, my toughest test thus far. It's going to be a great show live on Channel 5. Make sure you tune in. Get your tickets. It's going to be a great show.
09:54 (dramatic music)