Billy Joe Saunders has spoken about his old rival Chris Eubank Jr. being in the ring against Conor Benn.
Saunders is a former middleweight world champion who fought Eubank all the way back in 2015. Both men were in the early stages of their careers, but the greater amateur experience of Saunders showed as he ran away with the first half of the fight.
Eubank did well to turn the tide and impose himself more in the second half but it was too little too late as he still ended up with a narrow points loss.
Since then, there has been no thawing of their chilly relationship. Saunders went on to big fights with the likes of Andy Lee and Canelo Alvarez, and Eubank has squared off with the likes of James DeGale and George Groves. Although a rematch has long been talked about, it never materialised.
Instead, Eubank is to try and settle an old score with generational rival Benn on April 26. Speaking on the matter to Box Nation, Saunders has questioned his former foe’s resilience as he gets older.
“As of late he’s looked a little bit old should we say, and don’t forget Eubank’s not the kind of boxer to get on behind his jab, get a nice lead, use his footwork, he’s been in some scraps and he’s been in some good scraps with not the best opponents but they’ve still give him some good work.
“I just think if Conor catches him clean and can follow up on one of them good shots, sort of like a Liam Smith shot, I think Conor Benn knocks him out.”
One big factor in Eubanks favour is that he is the naturally bigger man having fought as high as super-middleweight, though he will be hampered by a rehydration clause which means he cannot put on more than 10lbs over his weigh-in weight on the morning of the fight.
