| London (11 January 2019) The bad blood between James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr. meant that the bitter rivals had to be kept well apart to film their ITV Box Office promotional video at the iconic Pinewood studios this week. With the spectre of James Bond looming in the background, the pair had to be allocated separate filming times for their parts in the thrilling, soon to be released, commercial for their A Storm Is Coming showdown at The O2 on Saturday 23rd February, exclusively live on ITV Box Office. The animosity stems from an infamous sparring session in 2011 when Harlesden’s DeGale, then preparing to challenge for a European title challenge, said that Eubank jumped out of the ring after six rounds instead of completing the eight rounds as agreed and disrespected him. Brighton star Eubank, who had only had a handful of fights at the time, later claimed that he had ‘schooled’ DeGale, during the session which infuriated the Olympic Champion and the touch paper was lit for the most intense rivalry since Nigel Benn versus Chris Eubank Snr. in the 1990s. For the last few years the pair have traded words, but they finally came face-to-face last week at the official press conference to announce the long awaited fight last week and ITV producers and executives did not want to take the risk of a fight before the BIG fight and kept them separated at all times during filming. DeGale said, “I can’t stand him and I’m counting the down the days until February 23 when I get to finish him off once and for all for the good of British boxing. The posturing, his attitude, his personality, it’s all a joke to me, his career reminds me of a Carry On film. Believe me, he’ll be dropped to the cutting room floor.” Eubank countered, “I’m glad I’m getting to him already, he’s done his best to avoid me since I arrived on the scene. He’s wanted no part of me and has done everything he can to dodge me until now. I was happy to film the commercial with him, I’m a man in control of my emotions, but clearly he’s not. James DeGale is history, like celluloid, I’m the future.” Tickets available from www.AXS.com and Inner Ringside/VIP Hospitality from www.sportandmusic.co.uk. This fight will be shown exclusively on ITV Box Office. For further information and updates, please go to www.itvboxoffice.com. Late last year, ITV announced a ground-breaking new deal with Haymon Sports and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) to bring exclusive coverage of exciting PBC world-class boxing events to ITV viewers and fight fans in the UK. The unique collaboration is the first time that Haymon Sports and PBC has partnered with a UK broadcaster to stage boxing events regularly in the UK. The exclusive three-year deal will guarantee a minimum of 15 televised events each year, drawing from PBC’s unrivalled group of over 160 of the best boxers in the world, which includes more than 60 current and former world champions in matches staged both in the UK and the US. PBC, the sports’ pre-eminent boxing brand, is broadcast over cable and network television in the United States. The world-class action from events for the next three years will include free-to-air broadcasts on ITV’s channels, including ITV main channel and ITV4 and ITV Hub, and will also include pay per views on ITV’s PPV channel, ITV Box Office. This new deal for boxing adds to ITV Sport’s portfolio of first class events, which includes exclusive free to air coverage of the England football team’s qualifiers for both the European Championship and World Cup, the 6 Nations and exclusive coverage of the Rugby World Cup, UK horse racing, the Tour de France and the French Open. |
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