Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will face off on April 26, and former middleweight world champion Billy Joe Saunders thinks Benn might just knock Eubank Jr. out.
Saunders knows Eubank Jr. well. The two fought back in 2015 when both were still climbing the ranks. Saunders, with his amateur experience, dominated the first half of the fight. Eubank Jr. improved in the second half, but Saunders won by a narrow decision.
Since then, the two haven't exactly become friends. They've talked about a rematch, but it never happened. Now, Eubank Jr. is getting ready to fight Conor Benn, carrying on an old rivalry from their dads' era.
Speaking to Box Nation, Saunders shared his thoughts on the upcoming fight:
"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."
Saunders pointed out that Eubank Jr. has been in some tough fights lately. He thinks this might give Benn a chance to land a big shot.
"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."
Eubank Jr. is naturally bigger and has fought at super-middleweight before. But there's a catch. He can't put on more than 10 pounds over his weigh-in weight on the morning of the fight. This might make things tougher for him.
Both fighters have a lot to prove. Eubank Jr. wants to show he's still got it after some recent tough fights. Benn wants to prove he belongs at this level. With the old rivalry between their families, this fight's got more than just titles on the line.
