CHRIS EUBANK has pledged to fight on after being defeated in his gruelling world championship fight.

He has a fractured eye socket and his left eye is still closed by a huge swelling. The boxer returned battered and bruised to his wife Karron and his four children, Christopher, Sebastian, Emily and Joseph, in Upper Drive, Hove, last night after spending two nights in hospital as a precautionary measure. Chris spent the evening relaxing with his family, then went to bed early. He lost the cruiser-weight fight against Carl Thompson in Manchester on Saturday on a points decision. The fight, reckoned to be one of best of the decade, has sparked a debate as to whether Chris should give up fighting. Today he was discussing his future with his family. But first indications were that he would carry on. He has an expensive lifestyle to maintain, including sending his children to fee-paying schools. Chris made a quiet return to his Hove home, with its manicured lawns and sophisticated security system, after a drive from Manchester. He was defeated at the city's Nynex Arena in a 12-round WBO bout that was one of the most punishing in his career. Following a brain scan and treatment for his eye injury, Eubank, 31, left hospital in an ivory Rolls-Royce. Asked if he had any thoughts of retirement, he said: "A winner never quits and a quitter never wins." Referring to a rematch with Thompson, Eubank said it was "in the pipeline." He added: "If the WBO sees that way, then I guess I will." He said of the fight: "I felt I did as well as I could. Carl Thompson put up a good fight. He was heavy, he was strong and he hit hard. I believe I did enough with the knock-down but the judges didn't feel that way. "You just go on. He is a good champion, no doubt about that." Eubank said he never felt he was seriously or permanently injured. Referring to his eye injury, he said: "It was nothing more than a good shot." Aides said at first that he had left the private clinic on Sunday but it emerged he had spent another night at the hospital. Andy Ayling, a spokesman for the fighter, said: "He is in perfect shape and has no lasting damage to his health. He was initially kept in hospital to allow the doctors to monitor the bruising on his left eye and wait until the swelling had gone down." "Whilst Mr Eubank does not want to take any credit away from the champion, Carl Thompson, who fought a great fight, the worst pain is that he feels he was the rightful victor and should now be enjoying his third reign as world champion." One person who thinks Eubank should carry is WBC super-middleweight champion Richie Woodhall. Woodhall, at the ringside on Saturday, said: "If Chris wants to do it all again, I'd say box on, without a doubt. "Chris went up not one division but two and it was a fantastic performance. "When I totted up my score, I had Eubank ahead at the end." Woodhall, one of BBC Radio's commentary team, added: "If a couple of judges had gone the other way, no one would have argued. And they wouldn't have argued had it been a draw, either. Chris matched him for strength, for punching power - he was probably hitting harder. "Although he's now lost four world title fights in succession, he's still a winner to the public."

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