The fight between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn is just hours away.
The two bitter rivals finally meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Saturday, nearly three years after they were initially set to do battle.
There have been many trials and tribulations along the way, with the latest coming on Friday, when Eubank Jr missed weight for the clash, resulting in a heavy fine.
Now a sparring partner for both men has offered his take, after welterweight contender Alfie Winter discussed the contest. Speaking to Seconds Out, he first revealed what it was like to spar Eubank Jr during this camp.
“Everyone spars different. I’m used to sparring 100%. You’re not doing your sparring partner any favours by slowing down and not getting in there to hurt them. I know it’s sparring but you’re trying to replicate a fight so it’s got to be 100%.
“I feel like he doesn’t spar as intensely as what I’m used to. He seemed a bit more chilled in the spar. That’s just my end of it. He may have been trying his hardest and I might be doing myself an injustice.
“He’s very balanced. He hits on the move and glides around the ring which is nice. He hits and move very well. I don’t think he’s going to do loads in the early rounds. I think he’ll try and stay away and hit and move and box on the back foot.
“He definitely sharpened up the closer he got to fight day. I sparred him a couple of weeks ago and he seemed noticeably sharper then than the previous week.”
Winter then talked about how his previous sparring sessions with Benn had gone.
“It was years ago I sparred Conor but he definitely sets a faster pace and it’s a lot more intense the sparring. That’s one thing I noticed, the intensity a lot higher with Conor.
“Everyone spars different but I know that when Conor gets in there he’s 100%. He’s very explosive he closes the gap very quickly. That took me by surprise.”
Finally he predicted a winner, and despite spending time with Eubank Jr for this camp, he gave a shock answer.
“No disrespect to either of them of course, but I’m leaning towards Conor to be honest. I don’t think he’s got anything to lose. Everybody knows he’s coming up a couple of weights and he’s only 27, 28. He has plenty beyond this. I feel like that will show in the fight.
“I feel like he’ll go for it early and my prediction is he could force a stoppage early. If it goes later to 6, 7, 8 rounds then it swings back to Eubank’s favour.”
Fans will find out just whether that prediction comes to fruition when the fight finally takes place on Saturday.
