Chris Eubank Sr's sad financial admission, secret wife and 'costing his son £3m'

Chris Eubank Sr will not be in his son's corner for one of the most significant fights of his life against Conor Benn come Saturday. Chris Eubank Jr is set to settle a long-standing rivalry when he faces Benn at Stadium - a rivalry that traces back to his father's bouts with Benn's dad, Nigel Benn.

Eubank Sr and Nigel first faced off in the ring in 1990, with Eubank Sr clinching the WBO middleweight title via a ninth-round TKO. A rematch three years later resulted in a draw, with no third match ever taking place to give Nigel another opportunity to best his adversary. Now, over three decades later, their sons are poised to square off in what is being touted as one of the greatest British matches of recent times.

However, Eubank Sr is entirely against his son, who is naturally a middleweight, facing welterweight Benn at 160lbs, causing tension in their family relationship.

Eubank Sr's relationship with his son

Eubank Sr played a significant role in the early stages of his son's boxing career, often seen alongside Eubank Jr at press conferences, and offering crucial advice between rounds from his corner. However, he has not been seen coaching or managing his son since 2019.

Speaking to Mirror Fighting about the decline of their professional relationship over time, Eubank Jr said: "He doesn't have a role, which is pretty crazy because for a huge part of my career he was a massive part of everything, the business side, the press conferences, the training... he was always there and now he's not there for any of it.

"I had to make that transition, I had to step out of that cycle because I felt it wasn't working, and as my own man, I had learned enough and had done enough in the game to do my own thing, to walk my own path and not follow someone else. At this moment in time, he's having trouble separating the business and the boxing and the coaching from being just my dad.

"For so many reasons, that's how he was my dad so when that's not there, he doesn't know what to do, that's what he's dealing with right now. I think it's going to take me being out of boxing for him to come back into my life. I hope that's not the case, but that's how I see it.

"I'm very appreciative of everything he did and everything he taught me throughout my life and my career, but I want to be my own man, and that's what I'm doing now."

Moreover, Eubank Jr has also said that the untimely passing of his brother Sebastian also widened the gap with his father. Sebastian tragically lost his life at the age of 29 in Dubai in 2021 after a heart attack, and this event, Eubank Jr claims, "destroyed a large part" of the bond he once shared with his dad. Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, he said: "You have the situation with my brother passing away.

"That affected him in a deep way - it affected all of us. Mental health is a real thing. That incident, coupled with the fact that we were already not seeing eye to eye, destroyed a large part of the relationship. And it still doesn't seem to have recovered." It has been suggested that Eubank Sr and his son have found common ground as of recent and are in the process of mending their strained ties.

Eubank Sr costs his son £3m

It seems Eubank Sr has been a costly figure in his son's career. claimed that his demands resulted in his son losing out on a £3 million bout against Gennady Golovkin back in 2016. Instead of fighting Eubank Jr, Golovkin defended his medley of WBC, IBF, and WBA belts by taking on Kell Brook, who succumbed to a fifth-round TKO defeat.

Hearn pointed the finger at Eubank Sr for the fiasco, citing unreasonable demands concerning the choice of television commentator and the pricing of event tickets as contributing factors. Speaking about the fight, the Matchroom Boxing boss said: "I believe Eubank Jr genuinely wanted the fight, and we worked solidly for three weeks trying to make the fight.

"We had several meetings and contracts went back and forth. We sent them a final contract on Tuesday and said you have 24 hours and they never came back to us. We just ran out of time, so I offered it to Kell. The deal that Kell Brook is on is the same as what Eubank Jr was offered, it's the same pay-per-view deal as is getting and what Carl Froch got.

"It was so frustrating. It was the crazy demands that meant the fight could not happen for Eubank Jr against Golovkin. They think it's negotiations but it's not a bluff when I say it's 24 hours to sign the contract. They were given a deadline and they chose not to take the fight.

"They wanted full operational control of the promotion. They were even asking things from Sky Sports like, 'We want these commentators', which is ridiculous. I feel for Eubank Jr because I don't think he knows what's going on and he was going to earn three or five million pounds. They have to understand that it's not playing a game.

"Chris Eubank Jr hasn't made one decision, he doesn't breathe without his dad's say so. All the negotiations were done with Chris Eubank Sr and the lawyer."

Bankruptcy for Eubank Sr

In a shocking turn of events, Eubank Sr declared bankruptcy in 2009 amidst this backdrop of relentless spending. After a renowned boxing career, marked by multiple world championships, Eubank Sr told Morgan on his Life Stories show in 2021 that he indulged in lavish clothing, overpriced haircuts, purchased a Lord of the Manor title for £45,000, and spent heavily on a £4m mock Tudor home in Hove, East Sussex.

His extravagant lifestyle eventually resulted in him filing for bankruptcy in 2009, leaving him to sleep in a truck. Nevertheless, determined to learn from his mistakes, he viewed his experience as a "good thing" that had taught him a valuable "lesson".

A third marriage

Eubank Sr and his first wife, Karron, tied the knot in Brighton in December 1990, having four children: Chris Jr, Sebastian, Emily, and Joseph. Eubank also has an older son, Nathaniel Wilson, from a previous relationship. However, the couple parted ways in August 2005.

In 2014, Eubank married his manager, Claire Geary, but their union lasted only three years before they separated in 2017. During his conversation on Morgan's Life Stories, Eubank Sr said that he had married for a third time, but preferred to keep his American wife out of the public eye.

Eubank Sr was questioned by Morgan about his marriage to a woman from Louisiana, to which he replied: "No, she's not a public figure. She doesn't want to be a public figure." He also mentioned that they were "extremely happy" at the time. However, it is unclear if Eubank Sr is still married to the woman, as he has kept his personal life largely private.

Eubank Sr opposes son's fight against Conor Benn

Fast forward to April 2025, and Eubank Sr has shared strong opposition to his son's upcoming fight against Benn, citing concerns over the significant weight difference between the two fighters. Benn, who typically competes at 147lbs, will be moving up to meet Eubank Jr's middleweight limit of 160lbs.

Despite a hydration clause being included in the contract to prevent excessive weight gain, Eubank Sr believes the fight is "against the rules". He told Seconds Out: "It's against the rules what is happening, 147lbs fighting 160lbs is against the rules. When Kell Brook was made to fight GGG [Gennady Golovkin] it's against the rules.

"That boy [Brook] had his eye socket smashed. For promoters, it is just a game, but to the warriors, it is a way of life. We have to call them what they are, they are trash, they are trashing us. We are not trash, we are the standard bearers...if you are not clever and you are not noble, this [boxing] will kill you, this vocation, what they call sport. If you don't play it right already, Conor, you don't have a career to enjoy."

Eubank Sr also expressed disgust at his son's actions during a tense face-off in February, when he . He said: "Junior, you are smashing an egg against this guy's face. I taught you that? I didn't teach you that? Who taught you that? Did Karron [Eubank Jr's mum] teach you that?

"Who taught you that? That is disgraceful. That is disgraceful. I'm going to be in your corner? I would never have been in your corner. That is a disgrace. You are smashing an egg in someone's face, and you are trying to justify it. There is no justification for it. There is nothing noble about that."

Unlike Nigel Benn, who has been by his son's side throughout the lead-up to the fight, it is understood that Eubank Sr won't be attending the match to support his son.