Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn's rematch might not happen. Benn says Eubank Jr is getting cold feet about their fight set for September 20 in London.
The two fighters met in April. Eubank Jr won by unanimous decision in what many called a fight of the year contender. Eubank Jr fought at his usual weight with a 10-pound rehydration clause, while Benn moved up two weight classes for the bout.
This wasn't their first attempt at a match-up. They were supposed to fight in October 2022, but Benn failed a doping test. He's been working to clear his name since then and got permission to fight in the UK late last year.
Now, Benn claims Eubank Jr is having second thoughts. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Benn didn't hold back:
"If he doesn't want to do the fight and he is bottling it, which is what he is, he's scared. He's signed already. What I'm gathering is that he doesn't want the fight and he wants to get out of it or move the weight."
Benn wants this fight badly. He sees it as a chance to set things right:
"I wanna fight Eubank. I wanna get redemption. I think he's scared of that. That was the best Eubank in there. There were wrongs that I can right. If it does happen next, I'll fight with less heart, less balls, more brains."
Benn said there's a deadline to decide if the fight's going ahead:
"You think I'm joking? Today is the deadline. Whether the fight's going ahead or not … Otherwise, we move."
If the rematch falls through, Benn has other plans:
"Listen, I'm excited to get back down to 147 where I'm at my most dangerous … There's plenty of fights there to make. I'm not just giving you talk, what I'm saying is factual. Within the next 24 hours [we'll know]."
The rematch was announced for September 20 in London, but now its status is up in the air. We'll know for sure within a day of Benn's interview if the fight will go ahead as planned.
