In the end, none of the old issues were sorted, and the two sons were still swinging wildly at the final bell.
On Saturday, back at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in front of tens of thousands more fanatics, the Eubank and Benn clans will clash again in a boxing ring. It is one of sport’s most extraordinary rivalries; it started last century, and there is no end in sight.
In April, Conor, son of Nigel, and Chris Jr fought each other to a bloody standstill over 12 dramatic, draining and damaging rounds. They could barely stand at the end, both exhausted, bruised, and hurt. The decision was not in doubt, and Eubank Jr had help to raise his dead arms above his head. All three of the ringside officials declared him the winner by eight rounds to four.
The final nod only tells part of the ancient story.
The inevitable rematch was mentioned for September, but Eubank Jr needed more time. He has since released pictures of his swollen and deformed face in the days after the first fight, when he stayed in hospital because of dehydration. It really was a savage fight – reminiscent of the first and utterly compelling clash between their dads back in 1990.
I was ringside for both, and the similarities are clear: pride, sacrifice, and a desire to win that is often frightening to witness. Every so often, professional boxers show us, the fans, why they are professional boxers and not chancers in some forsaken counterfeit version of the sport.
Eubank Jr and Conor Benn went to boxing’s most savage places, and they had no idea just how tough their chosen business is. Saturday’s rematch will reflect the suffering from the first fight; the rematch between the dads was the same, still intense but not as brutal as the first fight.
Both boxers have spoken of the changes they need to make to win the rematch. The first fight was far too hard, and that is because they each abandoned some of boxing’s most important elements and just had a war. They delivered on their promise – the rematch will be different, and it probably has to be.
“Conor was too emotionally involved,” said Tony Sims, who has trained Benn from the very start of his professional career. “He knows that he has to make a lot of adjustments, and he can.”
Eubank Jr will have Brian “BoMac” McIntyre in his corner, a switch that worked for him in his rematch with Liam Smith in 2023. “It will be easier this time, he has his number,” insisted McIntyre. It was he who was arrested and detained after the Smith fight; he was stopped at the airport on his way back to America with a gun in his bag. It was also BoMac in the corner when Terence Crawford beat Canelo Alvarez recently. He was released after the gun mishap and has been allowed back – it was a misunderstanding.
In some ways there is less baggage going into this fight, and in other ways there is more. The insults have mellowed and both have praised the other, and there are certainly fewer unknowns. However, they still dislike each other and pride will always be a factor when a Eubank and a Benn fight each other.
This one might just be about skill, ring intelligence, and calm nerves. The problem is nobody is really sure who possesses more of the ingredients necessary to win this fight. A test of heart, guts and desire will always be decided by the tiniest margins in a fight like this. I’m not sure there has been a single easy round so far between these two fighting families. I have seen every round so far – 33 in total – and I can’t recall anything easy. There was not an easy minute in April, not one.
Eubank Jr is 36, Benn 29 now; Eubank Jr has lost three of his 38 fights and Benn’s only loss in 24 fights was to Eubank. The fight will once again be at middleweight.
The first fight was a reminder of just how good a domestic rivalry can be, especially one fought in a British ring in front of 67,000 people. Trust me, fights like this are rare and need to be cherished.
The day after the first fight, the fathers each had a critical role to play. Chris was bedside with his son and never left him until he was released. Nigel met with Conor, and they found a second away from any other ears. “You lost, now you have to go and put it right,” said Nigel.
That sets up Saturday nicely. The winner will be the smarter fighter. And possibly the fresher. Benn might just have that edge.
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