There was a curious feel to the most recent press conference featuring Chris Eubank Jnr and Conor Benn. On Thursday night, as they took center stage with their fathers in tow, they looked every inch the long-suffering actors who had just completed a gruelling 36-month run on London’s West End.
And what a run it’s been. With helping hands from their old men, who dusted off their 90’s alter-egos to inject some nostalgia into proceedings, Eubank Jnr and Benn have carried the drama for as long as they possibly could. But now, more than three years removed from that disastrous opening night – the one that had to be pulled at the 11th hour – the ticket sales have dropped alongside the appetite to see them perform again.
They seemed to know it, too. Eubank Jnr, once so captivating and carefree, could barely summon the motivation to remember his lines. Benn, also, was a long way from the caged animal he once pretended to be. All that was missing from the Eubanks and the Benns, as they wearily embraced after their penultimate performance, was the holding of hands and a collective bow.
Perhaps that will come on Saturday night, following their rematch, when the story, we hope, reaches its end. They’ve all already given too much of themselves to this long-and-winding saga, and the audience, though thankful for their efforts, has all but seen enough.
That’s not to say there isn’t room for one last reminder of the chemistry between them. There’s every chance that we will again get to see a thrilling spectacle, one that makes us remember why those who stand on the outskirts – the promoters, the broadcasters, the commissioners, and the media who service them all – were always so keen to push Chris Eubank Jnr and Conor Benn together in the first place. Because back in April, at the same Tottenham Hotspur Stadium where tonight the curtain will surely come down for the final time, Eubank Jnr and Benn stunned everyone with performances bristling with bravery and spite.
Eubank Jnr played his role as the veteran perfectly as he overcame the boisterous start from Benn, who almost immediately removed all concern that he might find the rigours of middleweight boxing too much, when he finished the 12-rounder as the fighter in the driving seat. That the Brighton star, who won via three 116-112 scorecards, was able to summon such reserve so late in the bout made those pre-fight claims that he was weight-drained to the point of collapse somewhat difficult to justify.
Yet there remains something troubling about Junior’s struggle to make weight. Perhaps it’s merely the knowledge that he’s now 36 and has shown signs of deterioration during the most recent contests of his 35-3 (25 KOs) career. Maybe it was his failure to perspire freely until the 11th round even though the contest had been fought at a frenetic pace from the opening bell. More likely, however, it was his subsequent decline in health, as his face continued to swell after he’d left the ring and, less than one hour later, he was wired to a hospital bed, threatening to slip from consciousness due to severe dehydration.
Yesterday, at Friday’s weigh-in, Eubank made the middleweight limit of 160lbs with almost a pound to spare. It must be said, too, that in the days before he stepped on the scales, he looked markedly healthier than he had during the corresponding moments leading to their April showdown. That might be bad news for Benn, 23-1 (14 KOs).
The 29-year-old made the most of his rival’s rickety start last time. His youthfulness and the ease with which the natural welterweight had made weight combined to generate extreme self-confidence. He tore into the older man, assaulting him frequently with wild but effective punches; more than once in the first half, Eubank had to straighten his legs and body to reset.
Benn was ferocious during that period of the contest. We’ve since been told, however, that there was a script which was lost in the exuberance and the mistakes he made, as he sought the conclusive blow, ultimately cost him victory. He now insists that there will be more consideration, refinement, and patience. Yet one naturally wonders if Benn is indeed extra careful in the rematch, then Eubank Jnr – far more experienced, educated, and naturally skilful – will be presented with the time and space he needs to take complete control.
Such a scenario is no given. We simply must remember Eubank’s age and the wear and tear that will only have become more ingrained during their first battle. Any fighter in their mid-thirties who endures such warfare, that in its aftermath required a two-night stay under medical supervision, would be fanciful to presume there will be no hangover when returning to the ring merely six months later.
Benn would visit the hospital, too. But when one considers he makes 160lbs effortlessly and has only once been involved in a difficult 12-round fight, it’s fair to conclude that he will be the fresher and more vibrant of the two when the sequel begins. It’s not a stretch to imagine him landing clean and often in the opening stages to the extent that the once-unbreakable resistance of Eubank becomes a distant memory.
Above all, though, is the thought that the man who won the first contest did so because, even at this advanced stage of his career, is the better and smarter competitor. This time the build-up for Eubank appears to have been an altogether smoother ride. He looks fitter and his mind has not been overcome with fear that his father, who did not show any support to his son until the eve of the first bout, is watching on with disgust. Furthermore, though Benn has since accused his enemy of hitting “like a fairy” we’re yet to see what happens if Eubank still has it within to craft unseen punches, the kind that Benn cannot brace for, the kind that were missing in April. Should Eubank be able to do so – catch Benn off guard – then the stoppage victory might well be his.
The feeling here is that the intensity of the first bout, when emotions were at their zenith, will not be duplicated. Thus, with the pace slower, the older and wiser man should win again.
Whatever the final act brings, as the twisting and at times ludicrous plot proves, its end is far from clear. What we do know is that no further encore is required, whomever celebrates once it’s over, and however loud the applause.
