On April 26th, Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. will finally meet in the ring, almost three years after the match-up was originally announced.
The domestic clash, which builds upon the legacy of Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn’s enthralling encounters, is set to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and will see Conor Benn move up two weight divisions to face Chris Eubank Jr, who, in his last fight, became the IBO World Middleweight champion.
Benn is no stranger to adversity, though most recently has experienced much of it outside of the ring as a result of alleged PED use, which, after a lengthy investigation, Benn was cleared of and allowed to box again.
He has fought only three times since 2021, most recently against Peter Dobson, a fight which failed to showcase the trademark knockout power Benn made himself known for.
Eubank Jr. on the other hand has also had trouble since the first fight was cancelled, after being stopped by Liam Smith in just the fourth round of their fight.
Though he avenged his loss in the rematch, becoming only the second man to stop Liam Smith (after Canelo), question marks remain about Eubank Jr’s ceiling, having lost with every big step-up fight he’s had.
Jimmy Sains believes Chris Eubank Jr. will be shaken against Conor Benn
Speaking to Pro Boxing Fans, Jimmy Sains expressed that he’s “buzzing for Conor [after] he’s had a tough two years” and that ‘The Destroyer’ will “do the business, with a KO” despite it being “a different match-up because he’s going up two weights”.
Sains, 8-0, told of his sparring with Benn, “He’s a good sparrer, he gives everything in every spar. It’s good to get rounds with him and it’s good work.” Sains believes as a middleweight himself he has proven to be a good partner in helping Benn prepare for the Eubank fight.
Amidst concern over the weight difference, Sains puts forward his case for why Benn will finally get a win for his family name over the Eubanks – “Conor Benn’s a massive welterweight, he walks around heavier than the weight anyway and Eubank’s going to be in for a big shock”. Sains said he wouldn’t give any more away.
Eddie Hearn defends rehydration clause for Benn vs Eubank Jr.
As a result of Benn coming up in weight for the fight, a rehydration clause has been implemented so neither man can weigh over 170lbs on fight night.
For some, this is a bid to weaken Eubank, before he steps into the ring, though for others it is simply balancing the odds, with Benn bearing the majority of the weight disadvantage. Eubank Jr.’s brother Harlem Eubank says Benn poses no danger, but that the rehydration clauses do.
When asked by SecondsOut who faces the bigger challenge out of Benn and Eubank Jr., Hearn replied: “This narrative of Eubanks gotta make 160, it’s his fight weight. The hydration he makes easy”.
“It’s common sense if you’ve got a smaller man coming up to middleweight […] No need to moan about it, if you didn’t wanna do it, you didn’t have to have it in there. Who’s at the bigger disadvantage? Conor Benn.” Despite this, Benn has dismissed claims he is at a disadvantage.
The pair will top the bill at the Spurs stadium, with an undercard featuring the likes of Liam Smith vs Aaron McKenna, Chris Billam-Smith vs Brandon Glanton, Viddal Riley vs Chev Clarke and Anthony Yarde vs Lyndon Arthur 3.
Though Chris Eubank Sr.’s rocky relationship with his son may be a factor in his decision not to participate in the event, it is clear that for both Eubank Jr. and Benn, this fight is personal.