Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn put on a thrilling show when they first fought back in April.
These generational rivals had been building up to their first showdown for more than two years, having first been scheduled to fight in October 2022.
That was canned late in the day when it emerged that Benn had failed a drug test. He was finally eligible to return earlier this year and the contest was immediately made and proceeded by heated verbal exchanges as well as Eubank being fined for slapping an egg on Benn’s face at a press conference.
The 12-round fight was a hard-fought battle, though Benn couldn’t capitalise on early pressure with his natural size disadvantages, meaning he came up short and suffered a unanimous decision defeat.
Speaking to Boxing Scene, Eubank was asked whether or not the fight with Benn was his most punishing yet.
“It was tough for sure, but punishing, no. It was a dogfight. I’ve had tougher fights. The George Groves fight, I’m fighting a guy who’s 20lbs heavier, can punch like mule, got cut. That for me was a harder fight.
“I’ve had spars, they’re called doghouse spars, you just spar for as long as you can until somebody gives up. There’s no rounds, there’s no breaks, you keep going until somebody quits. Those are tough. I’ve had a few tough ones. I know what I’m capable of.”
The fight between Eubank and Groves took place in February 2018, with Groves claiming a unanimous decision victory to retain his WBA super-middleweight title.
Eubank and Benn now do it all again in November, and many suspect the experience of the first fight will help Benn the second time around, especially as Eubank is now in his mid-thirties and making the middleweight limit will become increasingly hard for him.
