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After weeks of speculation, the bout between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. has now been confirmed. The pair will meet on October 8 at the O2 Arena in London on the DAZN PPV.
Years ago, in a press conference for Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Tom Doran, Conor Benn reacted to Eubank Sr. talking about him and said:
“Who are you to talk about my life, who are you to talk about my personal life in front of all these cameras?... That is very disrespectful, you want to talk about my dad talk about him, don’t talk about me.” [sic]
Watch the full video here:
The rivalry stems from their respective fathers, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, who fought each other in the boxing ring twice in the early 90s.
Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn both compete in different weight-classes, and a fight between the pair always seemed unlikely. To bridge the gap in their weight, the fight will be contested at a catchweight of 156lbs. Eubank Jr. has operated at 160lbs and 168lbs, whereas Benn fights at 147lbs.
Former promoter of Eubank Jr., Frank Warren, has questioned whether Eubank Jr. will be able to make the weight, and whether doing so would impact his conditioning.
A "rehydration clause" in the fight contract has not been publicly disclosed, but there was rumored to be one in prior talks. That rehydration clause was reportedly the reason why the fight has been delayed. It is an important factor going into the fight for Eubank Jr. who is naturally a bigger man.
If Eubank Jr. can safely and comfortably make weight, it will be the toughest test of Benn's career. Whilst Benn has a victory over former world champion Chris Algieri, Algieri was a much diminished fighter by then and retired after that bout.
Eubank Jr. would naturally have a size advantage which could dictate the outcome of the fight.
Conor Benn has been calling for a big fight
In recent times, Benn has been calling out some of the biggest names in and around the 147lbs division. Kell Brook, Amir Khan and Adrien Broner are amongst some of the names he has mentioned.
Keith Thurman was another, and ‘One Time’ even responded to Benn’s call out.
Ultimately, the fight with Thurman did not materialize in the end.
Eubank Jr. is a massive name in the United Kingdom, and Sky Sports had over one million viewers tune in for his last bout against Liam Williams. The fight will also have the added push from the Benn-Eubank family feud.
Conor Benn has been slowly stepping up the level of opposition and wants to solidify his resume. ‘The Destroyer’ is hoping to become the next big PPV star in the UK, and his next fight will be the first PPV he headlines.
