What unfolded in that moment represented the climax of the tension that had already been demonstrated between Eubank Jnr and Conor Benn, their respective promoters Ben Shalom and Eddie Hearn, and indeed Hearn and Eubank Jnr.

Nigel Benn – whose disdain for Eubank Snr was even more transparent than Eubank Jnr’s has been for his son since their date in 2022 was cancelled when it transpired that Benn had twice tested positive for the banned substance clomifene – had by then confidently predicted victory for his son, but he spoke without the emotion that has so often underpinned his public appearances. It was perhaps even tempting to conclude that he had for him a sense of respect.

Tuesday, incidentally, represented 20 years since Nigel Benn’s thrilling-and-tragic fight with Gerald McClellan, but it was his greatest rival Benn Snr had in mind when he said: “I’m sorry if I offended you saying I hate your dad. I don’t hate your dad. That was my stupidity. 

“I’m a 61-year-old man and you know what? I thank God for having Chris in my life because we’ve done so much. We’ve left you lot to carry on the legacy. But I apologise to what I said about hating your dad. I really don’t.

“But, retribution is coming your way, mate, I’m telling you. It is coming your way. He’s gonna hit you so many times with a left you’re gonna be crying for a right. He’s gonna hit you so many times you’re gonna think you’re surrounded, I’m telling you. He’s gonna put in on you, mate, and I’m so confident. So confident.”

In retirement Nigel Benn moved to Mallorca, of Spain’s Balearic Islands, and it is from there that his son, 28, will prepare for his biggest fight. In 2022 they were scheduled to fight at a catchweight of 157lbs. In 2025 they will fight at the 160lbs middleweight limit, potentially presenting to Eubank Jnr, 35, an increased advantage over a fighter established at welterweight, but Benn Snr said: “He’s matured in them two years. I’m more excited about this fight than when it was me and Chris Snr. I’ve got more confidence in his fight than I was for me and Chris. 

“People say he’s moving up two weights – Conor walks around at 12st. The guys he spars are huge. He hits much harder than Liam Smith. Conor can do 12 rounds at pace. He wants to come in at 60 per cent against my son – mate. 

“I know my boy. He’s got my DNA but much better. 

“Look what happened with Liam Smith [Eubank Jnr was stopped for the first time, by Smith, in January 2023, before stopping him in their rematch eight months later]. Answer me that. What went wrong there? Even the second fight, for the first three rounds, he was holding on for dear life. 

“He didn’t realise that Smith ain’t got nothing to throw at him. That’s not a great performance.”

Eubank Jnr, predictably, referenced Conor Benn’s positive drugs tests by dismissing him as a “cheat” – one of the explanations offered by Benn was that the fertility drug clomiphene had been found in his system because he had eaten too many eggs; he has consistently maintained his innocence – and it was eggs that complemented the slap that was to follow later, but Nigel Benn remained calm when he did so.

“You don’t spend nearly £1m to fight the case if you’re a drugs cheat,” he simply said.

Chris Eubank Snr, who stopped Nigel Benn in 1990 and drew with him three years later, was nowhere to be seen. Nigel Benn had travelled from Australia, where he lives.