Chris Eubank Jr. beat Conor Benn in a close 12-round fight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The judges scored it 116-112 on all three cards for Eubank Jr.
The fight started with Benn in control. He landed cleaner punches, especially right hands, in the first five or six rounds. Benn's head movement and footwork gave him an edge early on.
But Eubank Jr. turned things around in the second half of the fight. He came on strong in the later rounds, throwing a whopping 335 punches in just the final three rounds. This late surge helped him secure the win.
Billy Joe Saunders, who has fought Eubank Jr. before, watched the fight closely. He said:
"At the end of it, I felt that Eubank won it. But if they would've said split decision or a draw, no-one could've really went out in a huff and a puff."
Saunders agreed with the judges that Eubank Jr. won, but he thought a draw would have been fair too. He found it hard to score because both fighters were competitive in every round.
The size difference played a role in the fight. Eubank Jr. is naturally bigger and has more experience than Benn. Despite this, Benn held his own, especially in the early rounds.
The fight lived up to the hype, with both men showing why they're called "born rivals". Their competitive spirit made for an exciting match from start to finish.
Looking ahead, there's a rematch clause in the contract. We might see these two face off again. Benn might also think about moving down to welterweight to chase world titles there.
This fight proved that both Eubank Jr. and Benn are top-level boxers. It'll be interesting to see what's next for each of them.
