Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr got into a heated face-off in Riyadh on October 11, 2024. The encounter ended with Benn shoving Eubank, rekindling the tension from their cancelled fight two years ago.
Back in 2022, Benn and Eubank were set to fight in a match that would've reignited their fathers' rivalry from the nineties. But the bout got called off when Benn tested positive for a banned substance twice. The fight was already raising eyebrows because of the 157lbs catchweight - a number Eubank hadn't hit in years.
Since then, both fighters have been busy. Benn, now 28, has fought twice while dealing with a long case involving the British Boxing Board of Control and the UK Anti-Doping Agency. He's trying to get back to fighting in the UK, but he's still waiting for the green light. Meanwhile, Eubank Jr, 35, has had his ups and downs. He lost to Liam Smith by knockout but bounced back with a win in their rematch. Now, he's gearing up to fight Kamil Szeremeta on the undercard of the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol event.
The recent face-off, caught on IFL TV, showed that the bad blood between them hasn't cooled. Benn wasted no time getting in Eubank's face. Eubank mentioned he was cutting weight, but that didn't stop the back-and-forth. As Eubank smiled, Benn got more worked up and eventually shoved him before they were pulled apart.
Eddie Hearn, the promoter, thinks this fight could be huge. He says it's the biggest match in British boxing apart from Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury, and he believes it can happen next year.
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"The fight – one he calls the biggest in British boxing outside of Anthony Joshua versus Tyson Fury – can happen next year,"Hearn stated, showing his confidence in making this long-awaited bout a reality.
The boxing world will keep a close eye on how this rivalry develops, especially with Benn's ongoing legal issues and Eubank's upcoming fight. The recent confrontation has certainly stoked the flames of interest in a potential matchup between these two fighters with a storied family history.