Chris Eubank Jr. thinks his rivalry with Conor Benn just became a whole lot less manufactured.
Eubank Jr. and Benn were originally scheduled to face each other in early October, in an all-British affair that was billed as a generational grudge match because their fathers produced England’s most famous boxing rivalry. Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn captivated British boxing fans with their two fights in the early 1990s. The announcement of their sons’ fight seemed to strike a chord with the boxing public, despite the fact that outside of their distinguished lineages, Eubank Jr. and Benn were not exactly organic adversaries.
Their match was eventually cancelled after it was revealed by the Daily Mail, three days out from the fight, that Benn tested positive for the banned substance clomifene, a drug used to treat infertility in women but, when used by men, boosts testosterone levels and can act as a masking agent. It was later revealed that Benn had tested positive for the same substance earlier in the summer, something that neither he nor his promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom disclosed in the wake of the bombshell leak by the Daily Mail.
Eubank Jr. has indicated that he may never forgive Benn for the failed drug tests, but that does not mean he has no desire to fight his embattled countryman. In fact, because of Benn’s scandal, Eubank Jr. believes their rivalry, for the first time, can stand on its own, apart from the accomplishments of their fathers. Eubank Jr., to be sure, was all for moving forward with his fight with Benn after he learned of the positive test roughly two weeks before it became public knowledge.
“I think so,” Eubank Jr. told iFL TV in regards to fighting Benn in the future. “I hope so. Now we have our own story. Now we have our own reasoning for wanting to fight. Now it’s not just 'your fathers fought, so now you guys should fight.' Now we have our own thing. Now we have our own score to settle.”
For the longest time, a fight between Eubank Jr. and Benn was never really on anyone’s radar. For one, they operated in completely different weight classes. Eubank has always campaigned at either middleweight or super middleweight, while Benn is a career welterweight. In addition, Eubank, 33, is seven years older than Benn, who is 26. Coupled with the fact that Benn was something of an inauspicious latecomer to boxing, the notion that the two would ever meet inside the professional ring also seemed improbable. Benn, however, made huge inroads in the past couple of years, developing a reputation as a devastating puncher and potential successor, which, in the end led to them striking a deal to face each other in a 157-pound catchweight bout.
Benn (21-0, 14 KOs) is reportedly in a hearing with the British Boxing Board of Control. If he is found guilty, he could be banned from boxing for up to four years. Benn relinquished his license with the Board last month.
Eubank Jr. (32-2, 23 KOs) will take on longtime 154-pound contender Liam Smith in a middleweight bout set for Jan. 21 at Manchester Arena in Manchester.
