Chris Eubank Jnr today let rip at Conor Benn, Eddie Hearn, and British Boxing Board of Control boss Robert Smith in a bizarre press conference to promote his return with Benn which is, for now, scheduled to take place on November 15.
Benn, compared to the accusations aimed at Hearn and Smith, got off lightly. Eubank claimed that an ambulance taking him to hospital following their brutal first contest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was blocked, before specifically taking aim at Smith, calling him a “scumbag” for allowing Benn to use gloves that contained horsehair while questioning fighter safety protocols and exactly where the money from fighters’ fines end up.
Whatever the truth behind and motives for his tirade, that it came during a time of mourning for British boxing legend Ricky Hatton, and moments after those in attendance were asked to reflect on Hatton, might see Eubank fall out of favor with plenty of the fans who were eager to see him beat Benn back in April.
“What a crazy, crazy world we live in today,” Eubank began. “For my entire life as a professional fighter, I have been the villain, the bad guy. Fourteen years and 38 fights of people loving to hate me.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but from what I’m seeing and who I’m talking to, I’m not that guy anymore. People from all walks of life are wishing me luck. But if you talk to that side of the table, Conor Benn is in fact the people’s champ. I mean, wow. Conor Benn, you did it, you’re the people’s champ.
“Conor Benn put on a great performance, he did things I didn’t expect him to do, but I’ll tell you right here and now, Conor Benn, you ain’t no champ. Get that out of your head. Stop letting Eddie Hearn blow smoke up your arse – you’ll end up being even more of an embarrassment than he is.
“They are not men of the people,” he went on, referring to Hearn and Benn, “they are pretending to be the good guys, they are wolves in sheep’s’ clothing, if you will.
“They will screw over anyone they can, they will cut any corners, they will walk over anyone and break any rules, to try and get ahead. They did everything they could to try and destroy me in the last fight.”
What followed were a series of unproven accusations, plenty severe, that Hearn took visible umbrage with. The most serious being that the ambulance in which Eubank found himself in after the fight, for severe dehydration, was blocked from leaving Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for 20 minutes.
Hearn, visibly annoyed, called it “absolutely waffle” and asked Eubank to confirm the accusations. “We will see, my friend,” Hearn said with an indication that legal action could follow.
Later, away from the stage, the promoter pointed out the severity, and implausibility, of Eubank’s claims: “Let’s see what happens over the next 48 hours,” he said. “There is a log of procedures for every fight night, when ambulances arrived, when they left. What he accused us of is unforgettable. When we’re a company as serious as we are, trust me, we’ll deal with that.”
Benn, donning a Manchester City shirt in tribute to Hatton, stayed calm throughout. “I take my hat off to him," he said of Eubank. "We all need a dancing partner. I underestimated him, I genuinely thought I’d knock him out in three or four rounds. He gave me one hell of a fight and it was one hell of a fight... But I will do whatever it takes to win [the rematch]."
The first fight was a titanic affair, won on points after 12 rounds by Eubank. Benn played his part, however, often belying his lack of experience at elite level and as a middleweight in the process.
The three judges scored the contest 116-112 for Eubank, who endured a cut over the right eye following a clash of heads in the ninth round. Thrilling though it might have been, and it really was edge-of-the-seat fare, the long and winding build-up to it – littered by, amongst other things, Benn failing PED tests, court cases, boxing licences ripped up, eggs smashed on faces, fines administered, and concerns about Eubank safely making weight – coupled with the aftermath which resulted in both fighters in hospital, and now today’s events, might leave some observers watching what follows through their fingertips.
