Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will settle their long-brewing rivalry this April at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The middleweight bout comes after a series of ups and downs for both fighters.
The matchup was first planned for 2022 but got called off when Benn failed drug tests. He's since cleared his name at a National Anti Doping Agency hearing, which lifted his provisional suspension and gave the green light to reschedule the fight.
Benn's been busy in the ring lately. He picked up two unanimous decision wins in the USA at super-welterweight, beating Rodolfo Orozco and Peter Dobson.
Eubank Jr. has had a rollercoaster couple of years. He suffered his first knockout loss to Liam Smith but bounced back eight months later to return the favor. He followed that up with a stoppage win over Kamil Szeremeta last October.
That victory set the stage for this long-awaited clash with Benn.
The undercard looks stacked too, with names like Liam Smith, Chris Billam-Smith, Viddal Riley, and Chev Clarke set to feature.
Experts are split on who'll come out on top. Former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew thinks Benn has the edge:
"Conor's too quick, too explosive, and powerful. He'll likely go out on his shield. But we need to see Conor back first in a normal fight and see how the years have affected him."
On the other hand, Carl Froch is backing Eubank Jr. The former super-middleweight champ shared his thoughts on his YouTube show "Froch on Fighting" late last year:
"I think Eubank Jr. has got too much for him. He's the bigger man, he's more experienced, and I think he'll get the job done."
With both fighters having something to prove, this matchup promises fireworks. Will Benn's speed and explosiveness be too much for Eubank Jr., or will experience and size win the day? We'll find out this April at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
