Eubank Jr & Benn Serve Up A Classic, But A Rematch Shouldn't Be Pursued
Fight week is underway as Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn build up to Saturday's main event
Lewis Watson 
Over 30 years since their fathers’ legendary battles and after more than 30 months of delays, Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn finally reignited their family rivalry on Saturday night - and they didn’t disappoint.
Eubank Jr. entered the bout as the favourite with the online betting sites, while Benn played the underdog role in what proved to be a thrilling, hard-hitting contest over 12 rounds.
Lewis Watson, our boxing expert at Freebets.com, breaks down the action and explains why, despite the drama, a second fight between the two may not be the right move.
Team Eubank Remain Undefeated Against Team Benn
As Chris Eubank Jr. sank to his knees on the blood-soaked canvas inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a wave of relief visibly washed over his bruised and disfigured face. After years of pain, the 35-year-old had just been confirmed by ring announcer Michael Buffer as the victor of his British grudge-match with Conor Benn.
Identical 116-112 scorecards from all three judges meant that the Eubanks remained unbeaten against the Benns following three fights spanning 35 years, and all four protagonists stood centre-ring displaying a wide spectrum of emotions.
It had taken thirty months to get here since their first scheduled bout was scuppered by two failed drugs tests from Conor Benn. Whether the performance of the younger man on the night means he has paid his penance will be decided by future audiences.
After nostalgia-fuelled ring walks, thirty-six minutes of battle ensued. Eubank Jr. and Benn traded leather at a relentless pace few imagined possible. Early momentum by the lighter, faster Benn was countered in the middle rounds by the power and accuracy of the heavier Eubank Jr., until a crescendo of an eighth round saw spontaneous applause break out around the north London stadium.
As if to script, Conor Benn fought like his father, Nigel, for the first time in twenty-four professional outings. He needed to. Wild swings missed but sharp combinations hit and Eubank Jr. got a taste of what his father, Chris Sr., had to overcome in the early 1990s.
It was a fire fight by definition. Guts, heart and determination trumped any over-reliance of skill or execution, and the experience of Eubank Jr. tolled in the eleventh and twelfth stanzas as he leant on the youngerman and emptied his tank. Both men were exhausted. And for the last few rounds, both men were one punch away from tasting the canvas.
“Everything surprised me. I didn’t know he had what he had in him,” Eubank Jr. said post-fight. “I really didn’t. I thought I would break him early. I underestimated him. I didn’t train for a fight like that. I didn’t know he had that in him, he’s never showed that. But then again he’s never had to show it. He had to show it tonight, and so did I.”
“I knew I was capable of that. I just needed someone to bring that out of me. I’m not going to lie, I did not expect that he’d be the guy to do that. But the fact that our fathers did what they did all those years ago, it brings out a different soul, a different spirit. That’s what we both showed here tonight.
“I pushed through. There’s a lot of things that have been going on in my life that I’m not going to get into right now, but I’m happy to have (my father) back with me. We upheld the family name like we said we were going to do. Onwards and upwards from here.”
If we are to treat this fight in isolation, it was a classic.
Two guys slugging it out over a bloody and bruised championship distance, with each round acting as a new starting point for either fighter to attempt to gain the ascendancy. But what came before the contest can't be forgotten and this match-up shouldn't be repeated.
Eubank Jr. was taken to hospital following the bout where he remains at the time of writing. It's unclear whether this is still precautionary, but the lengths he went to to make the 160-pound limit would have had a damaging effect on his body; rehydrating to just 170-pounds the day after even more so.
Of course, there is a rematch clause in the contract, but it makes sense now for both parties to go their separate ways. If Benn is able to swallow his ego, a world title opportunity at 147 or 154 pounds could be down the road.
At 35, Eubank Jr. needs to consider his options wisely. He is set for life and, having beaten Conor Benn with his estranged father by his side, has secured a fitting Hollywood ending.
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