Chris Eubank Jr: British Middleweight champion applies to fight for GB at Rio Olympics – only to be told he is not needed

CHRIS EUBANK JR applied to represent Great Britain at this summer's Rio Olympics as their first professional boxer - only to be told there is no space for him.

In a controversial move which has drawn much criticism from the boxing world, for the first time professional boxers will be able to compete alongside amateurs at the Games.

The announcement was made by Chris Eubank Sr during ITV's Good Morning Britain this morning, while he was talking to hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid about the late Muhammad Ali.

That inquiry was confirmed by GB Boxing, who have since informed the British middleweight champion Eubank Jr there is no room in his division.

Liverpool's Anthony Fowler had already qualified in the weight class.

Team GB's boxing squad has two unfilled places but is sending two amateurs to the next qualifying event in Baku later in June.

Eubank Jr, ranked second by the WBA and third by the WBC, is set to have his next professional fight on 25 June at London's O2, when he defends his British middleweight title against Tom Doran.

The 26-year-old's last opponent, Nick Blackwell, was placed  in a medically-induced coma for treatment after the fight, which was a one-sided victory by Eubank Jr. Blackwell has since been taken out of the coma and is on course to make a full recovery.

Eubank Jr has lost just one of his 23 professional contests, a split decision defeat by Billy Joe Saunders for the European, British and Commonwealth middleweight titles back in November 2014.

Stars of the boxing world. such as former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton, have blasted the decision to allow professional boxers to fight at the Olympics.

Hatton tweeted: "Pro boxers in the Olympics. What are AIBA thinking? Goodbye amateur boxing now as far as I'm concerned. Can't say I'm a fan of this."