Harlem Eubank thinks a possible fight with Conor Benn will no longer happen because he does not believe Benn will win a world title.
Eubank believes that his cousin, Chris Jnr, will win his rematch with Benn on Saturday at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Many said Benn was too emotionally involved in the first bout, which he lost on points in April, but Harlem, of Brighton, UK, believes that if Benn slows things down, he will play into Eubank Jnr’s hands.
“That's the only obvious conclusion to me,” Harlem said. “[Benn]’s not a boxer. He’s someone that likes to come in and wing wild shots and hope something lands. That’s what he done last time. He had the element of surprise. Chris dominated him last time when [Benn had] that element of surprise. This time around, I can’t see anything but a stoppage victory. I think I was more excited last time around because of the unknowns. And, you know, I just wanted Chris to go in and do his thing. But this time, I know he’s more well-prepared. And I feel like he’s going to go in there and be himself. And when he’s his true self, I think he takes this guy out within six rounds.”
There are concerns in the build-up, however, once again about Eubank Jnr making 160lbs and that the previous fight took too much out of the older man.
Harlem admits he is not blind to those concerns.
“Definitely,” he said. “As a family member, you never want to see someone in a position like he was after the fight because of the dehydration, because of the [rehydration clause] restrictions. So I know it’s going to be difficult for him. And that’s one of the things for Senior when he’s asked about the fight, he’s being asked from the perspective of a father that’s watching his son on the hospital bed, not responding because he’s so dehydrated. It’s tough. It’s tough to watch when you’re close to somebody. But Junior has decided to go ahead with it, so you’ve got to support him and pray that they both come out the other side healthy.”
When there was speculation that Eubank Jnr might not make it to the ring in the first fight, Harlem volunteered to step in. Harlem, 21-1 (9 KOs), wound up suffering his first loss, to Jack Catterall in July, and Catterall boxes on the undercard on Saturday against Ekow Essuman.
Harlem will return against Canadian Josh Wagner next weekend in Brighton, hoping to position himself for a big fight in 2026. That doesn’t necessarily include a bout with Benn.
“My full focus is on winning a world title,” Harlem said.
“So I don’t think that he’ll be in a position coming off two losses to be up there. My full focus is on becoming world champion in 2026. And whoever it takes to get there, I’m ready to get it on. But I don't believe [Benn]’ll be in position after two back-to-back defeats.”
Harlem will have an eye on Catterall-Essuman, and he wonders if Catterall will be more aggressive against the Nottingham, UK, man than he was against Eubank. Catterall has since changed trainers to work with Derrick “Bozy” Ennis in Philadelphia.
“It’s a good fight,” Harlem continued of Catterall-Essuman. “May the best man win. I can’t predict how Catterall is going to come. We thought he was going to come to fight last time. And after the ‘Tom and Jerry’ comments, he’s made out that he’s going to change the style and come forward more. … So you don’t know actually how he’s going to approach it when the bell rings. But we will soon find out. I think it’s hard to switch up your whole game when you get to a certain age and you’ve made a lot of developments when you’ve been boxing for so long that are ingrained. But let’s see what changes can be made in Philly.”
Tris Dixon covered his first amateur boxing fight in 1996. The former editor of Boxing News, he has written for a number of international publications and newspapers, including GQ and Men’s Health, and is a board member for the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Ring of Brotherhood. He has been a broadcaster for TNT Sports and hosts the popular “Boxing Life Stories” podcast. Dixon is a British Boxing Hall of Famer, an International Boxing Hall of Fame elector, a BWAA award winner, and is the author of five boxing books, including “Damage: The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing” (shortlisted for the William Hill Sportsbook of the Year), “Warrior: A Champion’s Search for His Identity” (shortlisted for the Sunday Times International Sportsbook of the Year) and “The Road to Nowhere: A Journey Through Boxing’s Wastelands.” You can reach him @trisdixon on X and Instagram.
