Updated:
Mar 27, 2023 5:23 pm
The rivalry between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr is set to rebirth as the pair are close to agreeing a fight on June 3rd in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The sons-of-legends were meant to face each other last October at a catchweight of 157 lbs, but 48 hours before the bout, it came to light that Benn failed two VADA drug tests for the banned substance clomifene, which forced the contest to be postponed.
Conor Benn received tons of backlash from the boxing public, yet was eventually cleared by the WBC which cited an excessive consumption of eggs as a legitimate reason for his adverse finding. However, ‘The Destroyer’ has still not proven his innocence to the UKAD, hence why his fight against Eubank Jr will take place in the Middle East.
In the midst of Benn’s drama, Eubank Jr went on to face Liam Smith instead on January 21st. And despite being the bookies favourite, he was stopped by Smith in the fourth round.
Shortly after his loss, Eubank Jr invoked his rematch clause and it looked certain he would battle Smith for a second time. However, after trolling each other online for the past couple of months, Benn and Eubank look likely to share the ring, this time, at the full middleweight limit of 160 lbs.
Indeed, tensions are higher than ever, as Eubank Jr did not hold back when calling Benn out on his failed tests on social media. While the son of Nigel Benn, mocked his counterpart for losing in such devastating fashion to Smith. Besides, revealing how Eubank Jr tried to blackmail him for £1 million to participate in the cover up on fight week.
George Groves on Conor Benn vs Chris Eubank Jr
George Groves believes attempting to fight Chris Eubank Jr again is the best move for Conor Benn. The former super middleweight world champion understands the financial rewards and after watching Eubank-Smith, is also under the impression that Benn has a great chance of winning.
“Yeah, that’s a great move for Conor Benn. I didn’t think it was so clever when the fight was first made because I just thought it was a mismatch”, Groves said in an interview with iFL TV.
“I thought Chris Eubank is way too big, fought at super middleweight, comfortable at middleweight. Benn is no way near a middleweight coming up, but you’ve got to think now ‘Bloody hell, if it was Benn-Eubank and Eubank was that tight at the weight and that was the problem, then maybe Benn would have wiped him out just the same.
“He punches with intent Benn, that’s what he does…But if there’s money in it then it’s always nice, Kugan. Nice, great, big occassion. Big nights, crowd, everything. Money is good too.”
If Benn does fight Eubank Jr on June 3rd, it will be his first contest for over a year, after he last fought against Chris Van Heerden in April 2022 and won via second round stoppage. Nevertheless, Benn might be the favourite going into the fight with Eubank Jr, after the Brighton native’s last performance.
Benn, only 26 years old, is in the prime of his boxing career and will be more motivated than ever to prove his doubters wrong. In contrast, Eubank Jr will turn 34 this year and it remains to be seen how much he has left in the sport. If Eubank Jr does get brutally knocked out again, it might be time to hang up his gloves once and for all.
One thing is for sure. We can expect another highly entertaining build-up, with possibly more animosity than last time. Furthermore, with Benn showing a lack of cooperation with the British Board of Control, fighting in the Middle East could become the norm for him.
