Chris Eubank Jr edged out Conor Benn in a close 12-round battle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The judges all scored the fight 116-112 in Eubank Jr's favor, giving him a unanimous decision victory.
The fight lived up to the hype, delivering an entertaining spectacle for fans. Benn came out strong in the early rounds, managing to hurt Eubank once or twice. As the fight progressed, Eubank established his jab and took control of the middle rounds. The final rounds saw both fighters swinging wildly, with Eubank landing the cleaner shots.
Former world champion George Groves watched the action from ringside. He shared his thoughts on the George Groves Boxing Club channel:
"I had Eubank up by a couple of rounds but I had two 10-10 rounds. There were two rounds you certainly could not split. Both guys were just sitting there in the pocket drilling away, punching away."
Groves pointed out that the high-pressure environment affected both fighters' performances. He noted that Benn gave away a natural size advantage, while Eubank Jr looked past his prime.
"Neither guy had the ability or maybe the brain capacity to put quality shots tougher. That's easier said than done in front of this sort of crowd when there is no much on the line and you're so tired and Conor Benn giving away so much natural size and Chris Eubank Jr, way past his best."
The exhaustion was evident in the final round, as Groves observed:
"Both guys, that's what they was up against tonight but they punched away. In the last round Conor Benn left his chin in the air a couple of times and got caught with shots but there was no power in them, Chris Eubank was knackered, they were both knackered."
This fight added another chapter to the generational rivalry between the Eubank and Benn families. Given the close nature of the contest and the excitement it generated, a rematch looks likely. There's talk of a potential September date, possibly back at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
