The fiercely anticipated clash between Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Jnr at London’s Excel Arena last weekend more than lived up to the hype attached to it in the weeks leading up. 

Saunders won by split decision in a fight that by the fifth round he looked to have in the bag, dominating his unbeaten opponent with his jab and comfortably evading the wild, looping single shots that came his way at irregular intervals. 

But in the second half of the fight, having woken up to the fact he was losing, Eubank came on strong, forcing the action to drag Saunders into a war that had the fans on the edge of their seats. 

He had Saunders in trouble on a couple of occasions and proved the doubters wrong over whether he’s the real deal or a hype-job, living off his old man’s reputation and an unbeaten record made up of journeymen and cab drivers. 

In the end the fight was a close-run thing and a rematch down the road looks certain.

Speaking of his old man, much of the talk after the fight has been over the role of Chris Eubank Snr in his son’s career. 

The consensus is that he is a negative influence, citing the poor gameplan Eubank Jnr came to the fight with and his old man’s role in his son’s corner vis-a-vis Ronnie Davies, who’s meant to be the chief second but who during the fight was overshadowed and even, it appears, disrespected by both Eubank Snr and jnr at various points.

There is no doubt that Eubank Snr casts a giant shadow wherever he goes. He is a unique character in the sport, known and respected as a true warrior when he was active as a fighter and who outside the ring has assumed the mannerisms, dress sense and pose of a dandy. 

He even treated an interviewer in the days leading up to the fight to a full recitation of the Rudyard Kipling poem If. 

Eubank Jnr is 25, an age at which young men know their own mind, and it’s evident that he values his old man’s guidance and role in his career. And why on Earth wouldn’t he? 

The experience and knowledge he will have gained from his father is priceless, reflected in the confidence he brings to the ring and a fighting style that resembles his father’s to great extent. 

Yes, there are significant weaknesses that were exposed at times during the fight by Saunders, who isn’t the British and European middleweight champion for nothing and whose development has included an impressive amateur career, during which he boxed for his country at the Beijing Olympics. 

Eubank Jnr lacks certain fundamentals — a result of not learning the basics by putting the time in with the amatuers

There were points during the fight when his balance, footwork and defence were all over the place — deficiencies that will have to be corrected now that he’s moved up to face-higher calibre opposition if he’s serious about challenging for titles. 

But all in all his attributes — great physicality, power, heart and confidence — outweigh those weaknesses and if we are going to blame his old man for the negative aspects of his boxing we need to give him credit for the good. 

Eubank Snr is an asset to his son and his career, not the liability many are claiming in the wake of a first defeat against one of Britain’s best.