Conor Benn scored a definitive victory over Chris Eubank Jr. and looks to have put their rivalry to bed.
The British boxing stars clashed for a second time Saturday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, and though the action paled in comparison to their first meeting, Benn is likely more than happy with the results. For 12 rounds, Benn led the dance, picking Eubank apart with his jab and consistently beating him to the punch before capping his performance off with a pair of knockdowns in the 12th.
Benn (24-1) went on to win a unanimous decision via scores of 119-107, 116-110, and 118-108. With the victory, he avenged his lone loss, which came at the hands of Eubank (35-5) this past April at the same location as their rematch.
Afterwards, Benn reflected on his feud with Eubank, which originated from their famous fathers, Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn, previously battling in two memorable duels during the heights of their careers in the 1990s.
“It’s been some journey, and I feel like this is the end of the Benn-Eubank saga,” Benn said post-fight. “Done and finished. It’s over. I know Chris has twins coming and I’ve got my boy, but this ends here.”
“This wouldn’t have been what it was without Chris and our dads most of all,” he added. “This is generational, this has never been done before in history. So credit to Chris. Credit to Chris, that’s all I’ve got to say. Thank you for sharing the ring with me.”
Their first encounter was an instant classic as Eubank won a unanimous decision following 12 rounds of superb boxing. However, the sequel was all Benn.
From the beginning, Benn looked a step ahead of a lethargic Eubank, and he raced to an advantage on the scorecards in the first few rounds before Eubank began to show signs of life. The larger Eubank never managed to get any rhythm going, though, and Benn looked to have the advantage not only in volume, but in landing the most impactful punches of the fight.
It’s unclear why Eubank performed so poorly, especially in comparison to his work in the first Benn fight, but he avoided making excuses in his post-fight interview.
“I’ve been through hell and back to get to this night and it is what it is,” Eubank said. “I tried my best and listen, the kid fought hard, he fought tough, he’s got power this kid. … We put on a show and Conor Benn was the best man tonight, so congratulations for him.”
If there was any doubt this was Benn’s night, he sealed the deal in Round 12, twice knocking Eubank down and threatening to finish the contest. Were it not for the second knockdown occurring with time running down in the final minute of the bout, it’s likely Benn would be celebrating a knockout victory and not just a dominant decision.
With their series now tied, a trilogy bout remains a possibility, but the 36-year-old Eubank didn’t commit to any future fight with Benn in the moment.
“It’s 1-1, I’ve got to go away and deal with some of the things I’ve been dealing with over the last couple of months and who knows?” Eubank said. “Maybe we’ll see something new with me and him, maybe we won’t. But for right now, it’s all about this man. It’s his night, congratulations.”
