Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn are getting ready to face off in about six weeks. The fight has been a long time coming, with fans eager to see this generational rivalry play out in the ring.
The two were supposed to fight back in October 2022, but Benn tested positive for a banned substance. He protested his innocence and got cleared to fight on home soil late last year. Since then, Benn has won two fights on points in the USA.
Eubank Jr. has had a tough time lately. He lost to Liam Smith, getting knocked down and stopped for the first time in his career. But he bounced back, winning the rematch by KO. In October 2024, he stopped Kamil Szeremeta in seven rounds.
The fight's set for 160 pounds, which gives Eubank Jr. an edge. Benn's coming up two weight classes from 147, and that's a big jump.
There's also a rehydration clause that says fighters can't weigh more than 170lbs at 10AM on fight day. But Barry McGuigan, the former world champion, doesn't think this will hurt Eubank Jr. much. In an interview with Seconds Out, McGuigan said:
"That means he has 10AM to 9PM that night to put even more on. He'll be 170 on the morning, comfortably inside that, then he can whack on as much as he wants between 10AM and the fight time … There's the issue."
Even with the weight advantage, McGuigan's leaning towards Benn. He thinks Benn's lively, punching hard, and settling into the pro game well. McGuigan says Benn's fast, quick, and can beat Eubank to the punch.
But McGuigan's worried about Eubank Jr. after he got hurt by Smith. He thinks when a fighter gets cracked like that, it takes something away that they never get back. Still, he admits Eubank's tough.
In the end, McGuigan calls it a 50-50 fight. Other boxing stars have weighed in too. Carl Froch is backing Eubank, while Tony Bellew's putting his money on Benn.
With all these different opinions, it's clear this fight's got everyone talking. We'll have to wait and see how it all plays out in the ring.
