Former two-weight world champion David Haye thinks Eubank Jr will win by late stoppage. Haye watched Eubank Jr spar twice and liked what he saw.
"I've watched two of his sparring sessions. And he was putting himself in his own comfort zone. He was sparring with guys who were coming to really put the heat on him. And I liked what I saw from him. I liked the punch variety. I liked the close-in exchanges. He's there for 10 rounds. He's there for 12 rounds if it needs to be. I think this is a 10-rounder. But he'll be there. and I think you will see the best version of Chris Eubank."
Haye points out that Benn's natural weight is welterweight, and his recent fights at super-welterweight haven't looked great. He's unsure if Benn can perform like legends across weight divisions.
"Connor Ben is a welterweight If you wanted him to perform at his very best, he would be at welterweight … But is Conor Benn that Manny Pacquiao, that Floyd Mayweather Jr, you know, the Roberto Duran, those legends that are able to work their way through the weight divisions, irrespective of what their natural weight started off at? That's unknown."
The weigh-in added drama to the event. Benn came in light while Eubank missed the weight limit by half an ounce.
Haye believes Eubank's size, history, and experience give him the edge. He expects Eubank to stop Benn late in the fight, unless Benn shows a version we haven't seen before.
"I fancy Chris Eubank Jr to stop Conor Benn based on Conor Benn's current form, his history. Looking at the fights, he had how he won those fights. I believe Chris Eubank Jr beats him. Stops him late. Unless Chris Eubank Jr unable to deal with a version of Conor Benn that we haven seen before … He's a big favourite because of the size, because of the history, because of his experience."
This fight between Eubank Jr and Benn, described as "born rivals," was originally scheduled for 2022 but got canceled due to Benn's failed doping test.
Fans can watch the fight live tonight, with the much-anticipated showdown finally taking place after years of build-up and setbacks.