'I just want a dad' - how the Eubanks saved their relationship

Chris Eubank Jr has spent his entire life seeking the approval of his father and former world champion Chris Eubank Sr.

But in the days before the biggest fight of his career against Conor Benn - a revival of the family feud which started with their fathers 35 years ago - Eubank Jr cut an isolated figure.

At the final news conference before that grudge match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April, Eubank Jr spoke about the "pain" of no longer having a relationship with his dad.

They had, at that point, been estranged for several years with Eubank Sr criticising the match-up.

Eubank Sr also publicly called his son a "disgrace" after slapping Benn with an egg during a face-off.

"I'm going to stand in your corner? You must be mad," Eubank Sr said.

"I will never be in your corner."

A reunion between the pair looked impossible as the bout drew closer until Eubank Sr made the first move - reaching out via text message just 24 hours before the fight.

"I called him and he wanted to see me, I told him 'I can't take any negativity'," Eubank Jr said.

"He said 'no, I have nothing negative to say, I want to be next to you'.

"Regardless of what has been said and done, I'm always going to greet him with open arms."

Eubank Sr had seen his son come under verbal attack - with his father's absence used as a weapon - and felt he needed to act.

The pair met that night and kept their reconciliation under strict wraps.

The first anyone knew of it was when Eubank Sr emerged out of a taxi backstage- and elevator for those watching on TV - beside his son. The boxing world at ringside and at home witnessing a now famous sporting moment.

"You didn't have any support, that was a very dangerous fight and I'm so glad that I cut off and away from you for so long and that I said there was no way I'm coming to that fight," Eubank Sr said.

"I turned up at the last minute to give you the last piece of energy."

The presence of his father on fight night clearly had a positive impact as Eubank Jr won by unanimous decision.

Eubank Sr will be back by his son's side for the rematch on Saturday.

"Him in my corner gave me that boost, that extra per cent to get the job done," Eubank Jr said.

"When it truly counted, he was there for me."

In a new BBC film, both men open up about their split and very public reconciliation, and what their mended relationship looks like now.

Their relationship first became strained in 2019, shortly after losing a middleweight title fight against George Groves, when Eubank Jr wanted to "walk his own path" as he reached a crossroads in his career.

Eubank Sr, who had trained and mentored his son at each and every turn, was "deeply hurt" by the decision to part ways.

"That caused us to separate and it shouldn't have," Eubank Jr said.

"Boxing and father and son should be two separate things."

They grew further apart in 2021 when Eubank Sr's son, Sebastian, died after a heart attack.

"It consumed my father and it affected me deeply, but I think I was able to deal with it a lot better," Eubank Jr said.

"Everybody grieves in a different way, for him the passing of my brother it widened the gap and separated us even more.

"He wasn't able to figure out how to deal with that loss and still have a working relationship with the rest of his children.

"We didn't talk for a long time."

Sebastian had become a father just a month before his passing in Dubai and Eubank Jr quickly assumed a father-like role to his nephew Raheem, having met for the first time at the funeral.

"All I have to do is pick up my phone, look at a picture of Raheem and I just light up and I'm happy for the rest of the day. I don't know why," Eubank Jr said.

"He's my brother's son so now he is my son."

After beating Benn in an enthralling contest, Eubank Jr was taken to hospital for what his promoter Ben Shalom called "precautionary checks".

Eubank Sr spent "two nights and three days" by his side.

"He doesn't leave the hospital and he was sleeping in the hallway," Eubank Jr said.

"Was I expecting that? To be completely honest, no.

"We'd been estranged for four years and when I saw that I knew 'Ok, he still loves me. He's still my dad'."

In the aftermath of such a gruelling bout, Eubank Sr asked his son to consider retirement, but Eubank Jr isn't ready to hang the gloves up yet as he prepares for a new chapter.

In a poignant moment in the film, Eubank Jr tells his father he will soon be a grandfather to twin boys.

Eubank Jr says he wants to do things differently to his father.

"I want to be the type of father that my kids can come to and talk about anything. I couldn't do that with my old man. He was too strict, he was too disciplinarian," Eubank Jr said.

For now, talk of boxing is off limits for the pair as they look to focus on rebuilding their relationship as father and son.

"What I want from him as a father is friendship," Eubank Jr said.

"I want to be able to go to the cinema, go to an event or sit at a restaurant and talk about anything but boxing.

"I just want a dad."

Watch The Eubanks: Like Father, Like Son on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer at 21:00 GMT on Tuesday.

Follow live text commentary on Eubank v Benn 2 from 20:00 on 15 November on the BBC Sport website & app.