Chris Eubank Jr. emerged victorious in a gruelling twelve-round battle against Conor Benn at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The fight, dubbed as a clash between 'born rivals', saw Eubank show remarkable grit in the final rounds.
The 35-year-old Eubank Jr. spent days in the hospital after the fight, dealing with injuries sustained during the intense bout. He got head-butted above his eye, which required surgery. Rumors circulated about a broken jaw, but Eubank Jr. quickly put those to rest.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Eubank Jr. addressed the injury speculation:
"When you get into a fight for twelve rounds there are injuries that are sustained. I got head butted above my eye in the middle of the fight. It opened up and I had to go and have surgery on that."
He also dismissed the broken jaw rumors:
"Conor Benn and Eddie Hearn ran away with the story of a broken jaw. There's no broken jaw here. We are strong. Our bones are dense. When you're in a fight like that, you have to go to hospital. You have to get tested and looked after. But I'm feeling good. Grateful that the fight was so well received. I'm in a great place."
The fight lived up to its billing, with both men engaging in a bloody and gruelling battle. Eubank Jr. showed incredible stamina, throwing around 335 punches in the final three rounds alone.
Now, attention turns to what's next for Eubank Jr. He's contractually obligated for a rematch with Benn, according to promoter Eddie Hearn. The only way out of this commitment would be retirement. However, Eubank Jr. seems open to various possibilities:
"Watch this space. Boxing is a very beautiful industry where anything can happen. The possibilities are endless. If the rematch is meant to be, it will be. And if not, guess what, there's plenty of other amazing fights to be had and great things to achieve for me in the sport, so I'm happy either way."
One intriguing prospect Eubank Jr. mentioned is a potential fight with Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez. He believes this matchup could fill another stadium:
"That is another stadium filler. Absolutely. Wembley, Tottenham, any one of the large football stadiums in the UK would be filled for that. He is an opponent that I've been looking at for many years now and the fans would love to see that. 100% that's a name that's in my line of sight. We will be doing whatever we can to secure that fight in the future."
While Eubank Jr. considers his options, plans for a rematch with Benn seem to be moving forward. According to The Ring Magazine, Turki Alalshikh is targeting September for the Eubank-Benn return fight.
Whatever comes next, Eubank Jr. has proven he's still a force to be reckoned with in the boxing world. His performance against Benn has only increased interest in his future fights, whether it's a rematch or a new challenge against someone like Canelo.
