EMOTIONAL Chris Eubanks Jr had to wipe tears away while discussing his complicated relationship with his father.

The Brighton boxer, 33, is the son of legendary sporting icon Chris Eubank, the former two-weight world champion.

And growing up in the spotlight presented Eubank Jr with his fair share of pressure – inside and outside the home.

Now the ex-IBO super-middleweight world champ has opened up on life as Eubank's son – including the strong discipline he was subjected to.

Speaking in an honest interview with Gary Neville for The Overlap, Eubank Jr said: "We text, we speak, he's a busy guy, I'm a busy guy. We've not grown apart but he's taken a step back in my career over the years. I didn't need this huge character next to me 24/7 like I did at the beginning.

"I love my dad. we were close and I still incorporate all the things he taught me as a kid and even now. I appreciate his upbringing."

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Eubanks Jr added: "I remember getting into a fight in school and knew they would call my mum who would tell my dad. I would put layers of shorts, pants and socks and tuck them into my boxer.

"It worked for a while, I pretended it was hurting, then one time a sock fell out. That was a bad day.

"At the time it's scary and you hate it and you're like, 'I hate my old man.'"

After taking a moment to regain his composure as he welled up, he continued: "Looking back on it, what would I have been like if I hadn't had that discipline?

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"I was still in gangs, in streetfights every week. I had that fire in me, I wanted to prove myself as Chris Eubank's son and prove I was tough.

"He could never separate being a coach from being an advisor or a mentor, it was always 24/7 boxing.

"Did that add pressure? Absolutely. It prepared me for the pressure the public put on me.

"He was extremely strict, I got away with nothing. If I messed up in school, if I didn't do a chore, if I got into a fight with my brothers there was physical punishment whether it was a belt, a cane or a slap.

"That type of punishment, upbringing and strictness made me who I am today."

'NOT ABUSE'

Asked by Neville if it was abuse by his father, Eubanks Jr replied: "Absolutely not.

"It's a good question. I got punished when I stepped out of line, he was teaching me that for everything you do there are consequences, good and bad. Not abuse at all.

"I was a tearaway, I was in a gang, at age 11 I spent two hours breaking into a sweet shop and emptying the place filling bin bags with Cornettos and Cokes and Snickers but left the cash."

Eubank Sr has publicly said his son does not listen to him and does not want him to fight Conor Benn, son of Nigel Benn.

Eubank Jr went through a rigorous process to try and make weight for their original fight, which was cancelled after Benn returned a failed drugs test.

His dad even described the ordeal as "attempted murder".

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Eubank Jr, speaking ahead of his grudge rematch with Liam Smith, added: "It was a little bit dramatic but he lost a son, I lost a brother [Sebastian] so from that sense it's not dramatic at all.

"It's a very dangerous sport and it's a cause for concern for a father and I completely understand that."

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