• British champion desperate to avenge defeat by WBO middleweight champion • ‘I am biting at the bit to get back into the ring with that man’

Chris Eubank Jr has reiterated his desire to challenge Billy Joe Saunders in a rematch “as soon as possible” in order to avenge the only defeat of his professional career.

The promising middleweight won the British title in the 10th round of last Saturday’s bruising fight with Nick Blackwell, who was stopped because of horrific swelling over his left eye and who has since been in an induced coma having collapsed shortly afterwards.

The bitter rivalry between Eubank Jr and Saunders did not conclude with Saunders’ split-decision victory in November 2014 – largely because of the close nature of the fight, the loser’s insistence the judges’ decision was wrong and the fact both have since improved – and at a time when Saunders is pursuing a suitable challenger for a stadium fight in the summer, Eubank Jr has spoken of his willingness to be that opponent.

Chris Eubank Jr: I realised Nick Blackwell was in trouble and held back Read more

“I am biting at the bit to get back into the ring with that man, especially now he has a world title,” the 26-year-old said. “Before that I just wanted my revenge, I want to put a loss on his record like he did to me, he has a win over me which I feel he does not deserve, that he did not truly earn and I want to right that wrong.

“Now that he has a world title, it brings a new layer to the situation. That is definitely a fight we are going to have to try and make as soon as possible, not just for my sake but the public as well. People are demanding this fight happens, everyone wants to see it, so I am sure we can get it done within the next six months or so.

“If you watch the [Blackwell] fight, in the middle of combinations I am actually turning round and talking to [Saunders] and Tyson Fury, I am calling him out, that is how much I want to get this guy back in the ring.”

Eubank Jr achieved something his 49-year-old father never did when winning the British title but he insists he has no intention of allowing himself to become satisfied at doing so and that his next opponent is likely to be revealed in the coming weeks.

“This is not like: ‘OK now I am British Champion I can ease off the brakes and take it easy because I’ve won this fight,”’ he said. “No, if anything I need to work harder now because I am the British champion and I need to uphold this title and that is exactly what I’m going to do.

“Obviously my main goal is to work towards a world-title shot but in the meantime if for whatever reason things don’t happen as quickly as I want them to, which is always a possibility, if that happens then yes I will definitely defend my [British] title. We will know within the next weeks exactly what route we are going to take.”