Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will run it back this year after a thrilling first encounter.
The familial rivalry first started in the nineties with British boxing legend Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn battling it out on two occasions – Eubank winning the first by stoppage followed by a contentious draw in the rematch.
The sons, despite a gulf in weight, were first set to face off in late 2023 before it was discovered Benn had tested positive for a banned substance.
Two years on, they finally stepped through the ropes together, with Benn moving up two divisions from his natural welterweight and Eubank hindered by a rehydration clause, meaning he couldn’t weigh in more than ten pounds over the middleweight limit of 160 on the morning of the fight.
Eubank would come out the unanimous decision winner after a gruelling twelve rounds in which both men appeared hurt and exhausted. Benn’s stock, even in defeat, rose, and a rematch of the thriller was inevitable.
It has now been announced by the Ring Magazine that the second fight – to have the exact same weight agreement and restrictions – will take place on September 20 in London, either at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium again or Wembley Stadium. Speaking to the outlet, Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn welcomed talked up an ‘even better’ fight.
“Spurs is contracted — it’s a fantastic stadium and it worked extremely well the first time. Obviously, it was sold out and this fight’s even bigger, so you could possibly look at Wembley to increase the capacity, but that will be a decision for His Excellency and Ring Magazine to make the final call.
“I just think the second fight will be even better. They’re not going to change. They’re going to come out from the first bell and just carry on like the 13th round. And when you see a fight like that, for me, the automatic thing to do is to do the rematch. The fight was always going to be two fights, but sometimes a fight’s one-sided or it ends early and there isn’t really the appetite for the rematch.”
