Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn are getting ready for a big fight on April 26 in London. This match was supposed to happen back in October 2022, but it got called off when Benn failed a drug test.
Ricky Hatton, a former boxing champ, thinks Benn will win. He shared his thoughts in a recent interview.
"I'm friends with Nigel, friends with Conor, but a lot of people are favouring Eubank a little bit. Let's have it right, Conor's not boxed nowhere near the level of Chris or the people Chris has fought at his own weight let alone two weights above."
Hatton knows it's a tough call. Eubank Jr is naturally bigger and has fought tougher opponents. Benn, who's 28, is moving up two weight classes from 147 pounds for this fight.
But Hatton sees something special in Benn:
"But Chris will be boiling down a bit, last time he boiled down he got knocked out by Liam Smith so that will help Conor. But knowing Nigel and Conor like I do, the self-belief that Conor has, he has that real self-belief and will and drive to win, so I think that might give him the edge and I'm gonna go with Conor."
Eubank Jr has had a mixed run lately. He got knocked out for the first time by Liam Smith early last year. He bounced back six months later, stopping Smith in their rematch. His last fight was a seven-round win over Kamil Szeremeta.
Benn's had a rough time too. After that failed drug test, he got suspended in the UK. He's fought twice overseas since then and is now cleared to box at home again.
The build-up to this fight has been pretty heated. At their first press conference, Eubank Jr even smashed an egg on Benn's face.
It's a close call, but Hatton thinks Benn's self-belief and drive to win will give him the edge. We'll find out if he's right on April 26.
