Chris Eubank Jr is in camp for his long-awaited grudge match with Conor Benn.
This fight has been brewing for years. Initially, the two generational rivals and sons of former boxing legends Nigel and Chris Sr were due to fight in October 2022.
That fight was canned late in the day when it was revealed Benn had failed two drug tests. He spent the next two-plus years fighting to clear his name and finally did so late last year. Soon after, the fight with Eubank Jr was made for April 26 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
In the time since the initial fall out, Benn has fought two low-key opponents out in America and won on points, losing the knockout momentum he had been building up with wins over the likes of Chris Algieri previously.
Eubank Jr has had three fights, including two with Liam Smith. He lost the first by surprise knockout, but won the immediate rematch by stoppage and then finished Kamil Szeremeta early last time out in October.
Speaking on his own YouTube channel, Eubank Sr – who has remained adamant that the fight will not go ahead – claimed his son is now an ‘ordinary fighter’ after training for a time with former world champion Roy Jones Jr.
“The style that you had was incredible but you changed that style to that of Mr Jones. This has made you, in my view, an ordinary fighter.
“I say this because it’s not really you I’m speaking to Junior. I’m speaking to the audience of fighters out there. You are looking for wisdom, young men. You should never really have changed your style, your style was one of brilliance. You are not a reflex fighter, which is what you have now gone to by dropping your hands. That’s part and parcel of the reason why you have decreased in ability as well as your age.”
Eubank will be hoping to prove his father wrong when the fight comes around, and he certainly has the natural size advantage having fought many weight classes above Benn during his career.
