Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn are set to clash in a huge all-British showdown on April 26.
The highly-anticipated contest between the bitter rivals was originally meant to take place in October 2022, but was cancelled after Benn tested positive for a banned substance in the build up. This came as a huge shock to the British public, who had been eagerly awaiting the showdown between the sons of Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, who had a bitter feud in the 1990s.
Since then, the 28-year-old has fought twice outside of the UK, picking up wins against Rodolfo Orozco and Peter Dobson, while being embroiled in a legal battle with the British Boxing Board of Control and the UK Anti-Doping Agency. Late last year, it was announced that any suspension had been lifted and he was cleared to fight on home soil.
Former unified super middleweight champion Carl Froch has had his say on the now rescheduled bout between Benn and Eubank Jr.
Speaking on his own YouTube channel ‘Froch On Fighting’, Froch gave his tentative backing to Eubank Jr, believing the 35-year-old to use his experience at world level to give him the edge over his rival.
“So who do I think’s gonna win? … What jumps out at me immediately is Chris Eubank Jr is probably gonna be too big for Conor Benn. He’s a 168 fighter. Conor Benn’s a 147 fighter, he’s campaigned at 154 … Obviously Chris Eubank Jr’s getting on for 36-years-old and he’s got this rehydration clause, so I do worry about that. The longer fight this goes on, the more chance Conor’s got of winning.”
“I just think that all the variables and you look at whose done what and whose the bigger, stronger man, and whose got the experience at world level you’re gonna have to say Chris Eubank Jr. He’s fought [George] Groves, he’s fought Billy Joe Saunders, he beat Arthur Abraham and James DeGale a former IBF super middleweight world champion. So he’s performed at a better level and proven that at a higher weight he kinda belongs at the world level, where Conor Benn hasn’t done anything. He’s done nothing.”
