There has long been a pattern of family members following in the footsteps of their fathers within sport, with boxing, in particular, seeing this emerge even more often.
Despite the brutality and risk that comes along with stepping into the ring as a professional prizefighter, the rewards seem greater for those who look up to their elder relatives and also go on to lace up their gloves.
There have been plenty of examples of this happening throughout the years but, in the recent past, there has been a surge of young fighters coming through their family’s sporting ranks.
The most high profile of them all at the present moment is undoubtedly Chris Eubank Jr, who is seeking to emulate and surpass his father Chris Eubank Snr’s illustrious boxing career, in which he won world titles in two separate weight classes.
Known as ‘Simply the Best’ during his prime, Eubank Snr was a superb British fighter that possessed a granite chin and vicious power, with the now-retired Londoner having gone on to enjoy all the highs and lows of the sport in a professional career which spanned from 1985 to 1998.
His hard-working and highly dedicated son Eubank Jr has shone brightly since making his own respective climb – or trademark jump – over the ring ropes. The now 28-year-old recovering from his first and only pro setback against Billy Joe Saunders in November 2014 to eventually win a version of a world title in February of this year.
The hard-hitting Briton moved up to 168lbs from his usual middleweight division to overcome Australian opponent Renold Quinlan inside 10 rounds and claim the IBO title in the English capital. Such a belt isn’t as widely recognized as being prestigious in terms of world honors
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Conor Benn is another fighter following in his father’s footsteps in professional boxing, with his dad Nigel having enjoyed a superb career and been one of Eubank Snr’s longest and most bitter rivals throughout their time at the top.
It’s clear that the sporting genes run deep in these families, while the younger fighters may have been pushed from a tender age towards a life in the ring too.
Along with Eubank and Benn, there have also been the likes of Steve Collins Jr, Marvis Frazier, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Hasim Rahman Jr, Cory Spinks, and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
While the sport of boxing has been passed down through many families, it’s actually very rare that both a father and a son realize the dream of becoming world champion. In fact, it has only happened a handful of times in boxing history.