IT is no secret that I am not a fan of former WBO super-middleweight champion Chris Eubank. In fact, even when he was at his best I rated him no better than an average fighter, who sold tickets more for his showmanship than for his boxing.

His strutting arrogance far outweighed his talent and when he did run up against a genuine world-class fighter, Ireland's Steve Collins, he was soundly beaten - twice.

Now, however, Eubank is back campaigning as a cruiserweight and I complained loudly when he was given a crack at the world title in his first fight at the new weight.

One thing Eubank was never short of, however, was courage, and when he tackled the bigger, stronger Carl Thompson for the WBO cruiser title at Manchester last month that courage was again very much in evidence. He just doesn't know when to quit and that ''quality'' caused him to spend two nights in hospital after losing on points and fighting the latter half of the contest with an eye almost closed.

Now, it dismays me to hear that Eubank and Thompson are to have a re-match for the world title in March. Not that the man from Brighton doesn't deserve another chance. He put up such a tremendous battle last month and it was one of the few times in his career that he gave a display which all real boxing fans applauded.

Eubank says he won't let Thompson off the hook again after appearing to have the champion going on several occasions in their meeting at Manchester.

He said: ''I know what I need to do this time. I know what I needed to do last time, but for some reason, which I can't explain, I didn't do it when I had him. I stopped and I froze a little.''

The reason I don't approve of the re-match is that Eubank is getting to the stage where he can get himself badly, even permanently, hurt. Thompson will still be too big and too strong for him in July and once again Eubank will be all too keen to show how well he can absorb a punch.

Even as a super-middle, Eubank was unable to sustain attacks and it will be much harder, if not impossible to do so at the higher weight.

There is also the fact that the man has lost his last four fights - all for world titles, all bruising encounters. Like the great Ali, he doesn't know when he has had enough. I would not like to see him end up the same way.

q ONE fighter I do admire is Birmingham middleweight Robert McCracken, now currently fighting in America. He is one of the best British boxers at present, and he is also one of the unluckiest.

Since making his professional debut on January 24, 1991, when he knocked out Mick Mulcahy in the first round, McCracken has had another 30 contests and remains unbeaten. He has held the British light-middleweight title and also the Commonwealth middle crown. But while others with less talent and much less experience have been given shots at various world titles, the man from Birmingham is still waiting for his big chance.

He thought he had finally cracked it when there was talk of the then WBC champion Kelly Holmes making a mandatory defence against him, but that fell through and then came a crushing irony.

Frenchman Hassine Cherifi pulled out of a European championship fight with the Englishman and the next thing was that Holmes agreed to put his world title on the line against Cherifi. Against all the odds, the Frenchman won on points and McCracken was left to wonder at what might have been.

McCracken, ranked the official No.2 contender by the WBC, said: ''Cherifi didn't want to fight me a few months ago for the European title and I can only hope he will be a bit keener now that he is world champion. I want to meet him, but wanting something and getting it are two different things. I would really need to get myself into the No.1 challenger's spot - then he would have to fight me.''

McCracken's luck was, however, still on a downward spiral last week. He was due to have his third fight in America, against Bo James in Corpus Christie, but sustained a rib injury at his training camp in Las Vegas and had to return home. ''Things just don't seem to be running for me,'' said a rueful Brummie.

His last fight - only his second in 15 months - didn't earn him many plaudits either. That was back in February when he easily outpointed Lonnie ''Honey Lee'' Beasley in Studio City, California. Beasley was merely concerned with survival and proved too awkward for McCracken to make himself look impressive.