That night, on October 20, 1980, Peter Eubanks made his debut against a Yorkshireman named Steve Farnsworth at Hove Town Hall in Sussex, England. The 19-year-old Eubanks, from just down the road, lost 59-58 after six rounds in the eyes of referee Brian Anders.

It was an inauspicious curtain raiser for perhaps the most notable family dynasty in the history of British boxing. In fact, Peter would lose his first three fights before finding his feet with a trio of wins in the first third of 1981.

By 1984, his twin brother Simon would also kick off his boxing career before the youngest of the boys, Christopher Livingstone, made his professional debut in New Jersey in October 1985. In a bid to make his own name, quite literally, he dropped the “s” and became Eubank.

Of course, both his sons would go on to box. His eldest, Christopher Jr., has recently been linked with a return to the ring in Nigeria, while his youngest, Sebastien, a 2-0 pro, tragically died from a heart attack five years ago this month while he was watching a Dubai sunset in the sea. He was just 29.

Seb and Harlem Eubank, the son of Simon, were officially cousins, but grew up like brothers and spent many years together at the boxing gym. Harlem Eubank (22-1, 9 KOs) will headline a London venue for the first time Saturday night, when he faces French contender David Papot (30-1-1, 5 KOs) in a 12-round main event DAZN will stream globally from Copper Box Arena.

At 32, and close to half a century since his uncle kicked things off in Hove, Eubank feels like he is now operating close to his peak.

“That’s how I’d describe this period now,” Harlem told The Ring. “For me, I feel like I’m just getting started with the big fights now. I think for the last few years I’ve been ready to really go into the big fights and make my mark in the sport. I’ve lived a clean life so, at 32, I feel like I’ve got a lot of longevity. I definitely want to be fighting for the foreseeable future.”

While he kicks off the period which will define his career, he has pulled no punches when it comes to his opinion on cousin Chris. Like Eubank Sr., Harlem is stout in his belief that the 36-year-old contender should hang them up.

Eubank Jr. (35-4, 25 KOs) was last seen in the ring November 15, when he was widely outpointed by bitter rival Conor Benn in their anticipated rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. It later emerged that mysterious yet serious health issues had derailed his preparation for the fight.

He had looked like a shell of the fighter who had beaten Benn in the 2025 Ring “Fight of The Year” at the same venue seven months earlier. Despite his subpar performance, it appears as though he is planning to box on.

“I think he’s done all he needs to do in the sport,” Harlem said. “He's achieved a lot in the sport, he’s been in great fights and does not need to be in anymore. The problem is, like all fighters, I think he’ll always have one left in him and the fact that the big money comes at the end of your career will always be the carrot dangling.

“So, it’s always hard and you can never tell someone when it’s time to bring anything to a close. It’s always up to them. He will have my support in whatever he chooses to do, but I don’t think he’s got anything left to prove.”

In a recent interview with The Ring, Mikaela Mayer, who is also 36, described her current situation as her “cash-out era”. She may be fighting less than she did on the come up, but her profile is such that any outing will become financially tempting. Ditto Eubank Jr.

“Exactly, it’s tempting,” Harlem added, “especially because people will see him as such a big name that there’s always going to be money on the table for him. That’s the hard thing for fighters isn’t it? Especially because at the start of your career you don’t see much money, then the big numbers come at the end. That can make you maybe overstay your welcome in the sport.

“So, it’s always a challenge and you always need people around you to give you good advice. But ultimately, it’s always going to fall on what you want to do and no one can take that decision out of a fighter’s hands.”

For now, however, Harlem’s only concern is climbing closer to the top of the welterweight division.

He is ranked No. 14 by the IBF, which is his highest ranking across the board. A victory over Papot will fire him closer to a shot at IBF champion Liam Paro.

Such is the depth of the division that Australia’s Paro is ranked No. 9 by The Ring, with Devin Haney and Brian Norman making an American one-two at the top. The Ring 147-pound title is vacant.

Eubank is still a fight or two away from hitting those heights and following in the footsteps of his famous uncle by winning a world title, yet he can feel the pull of history in his blood.

“This is about identity,” Harlem said. “It’s your identity when you’re training, you’re in the gym all your life and that’s all you know, going to the gym, preparing, training. This is what we do.

“This is what it’s about. Of course it will always be hard to walk away from, but that’s not my concern now. My full focus is David Papot and we will see what happens after that.”