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It felt like a fight nobody wanted.
Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn – April 25, 2025.
Neither man had won a world title.
They could fight, but their talent didn’t create a buzz; it was their last names that had made them famous.
Their dads were former champions and better fighters.
In 1990, Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn met in a grudge match at Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, Eng.
Eubank entered the fight undefeated in 24 fights. Power-punching destroyer Benn had one loss in 27 contests, knocking out 25 opponents.
Many wagered that WBO champion Benn would stop the more unheralded Eubank, but in a war, Eubank flipped the script, halting Benn in the ninth frame.
They fought again to a draw a few years later. The bad blood has burned ever since.
Eubank Jr. and Benn were going to fight in 2022, but Benn’s failure of two tests for performance-enhancing drugs led to the cancellation of the fight.
Bad eggs, said Benn, the smaller of the two. BS, said Eubank Jr.
The possible bout lay dormant for a couple of years until this year.
The buildup was circus-like.
But legacy, and most of all, pride, can take athletes to different places.
That’s exactly what happened. Benn was in the ring first, pacing the ring like a caged animal. Eubank Jr. sneered at his opponent.
The fight was a slow burner that caught fire in the middle rounds and turned into a corker.
Benn wanted to knock his opponent out. He swung for the fences and missed. Eubank Jr. jabbed and jabbed some more. Benn landed a hard shot in round three. Eubank Jr. let his hands go in the next heat, igniting the crowd.
Eubank Jr. kept working his jab as Benn fired his right. Both were landing.
Through six rounds, the fight was close. Eubank Jr. jarred Benn with two uppercuts.
Benn had the crowd screaming as he unloaded on Eubank early in round eight. Eubank turned the tide in his favor late in the round, tattooing Benn with hooks.
Eubank Jr. was bleeding due to an accidental headbutt near his left eye. He blinked away the blood and pain and banked the round with activity.
Benn nailed Eubank Jr. with a body shot in round 10. The tired Eubank Jr. fought back with blistering shots that backed Benn into the ropes. Benn landed heavy shots in round 11. Eubank Jr. walked through them, unloading punches of his own.
The fighters went toe-to-toe in the 12th and final round. Punches were bouncing off each other like bullets. Neither man wanted to give an inch.
Eubank Jr. was the victor by unanimous decision.
Blistering and the Maxboxing Fight of the Year for 2025.
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