The fight between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn was so phenomenal, the scene at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium so perfect, that it almost doesn’t matter which of them won.
For the record, Eubank won a unanimous decision by scores of 116-112 on all three judges’ cards in a bout that was so heated, so competitive and so passionate that it may have surpassed what either of their legendary fathers had ever done.
The crowd was at a fever pitch at the opening bell, and the intensity only increased as it realized it was seeing a classic unfold in real time.
The bout wasn’t made for a title or rankings, but because of their bloodlines.
Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn fought a pair of heated fights in a rivalry that captivated their country. In 1990, Eubank Sr. stopped Benn in the ninth in Birmingham, England, to win the WBO middleweight belt. The rematch was Oct. 9, 1993, in Manchester, England, and was a draw.Eubank Sr. and Benn built passionate followings, and when their sons went into the sport, it was hard not to pair them once they were close in weight.
Conor Benn fought most of his career at welterweight, while Eubank Jr. fought at middleweight and super middleweight.
Were it not for the rivalry between the fathers, Saturday’s bout almost certainly would not have happened.
And let’s be honest, what a tragedy that would have been for those who had the privilege of seeing it live, as well as for those who watched the pay-per-view on DAZN.
Benn weighed a career-high 156 1/2, and entered not only without a marquee victory, but with questions about his chin and punching power.
He still doesn’t have the marquee victory, though in his biggest moment, he turned in a marquee-worthy performance. And questions about his chin and his power? Yeah, forget those. He showed plenty of each on Saturday.
Eubank noticed; oh, did he notice. He was like Bambi on skates after a blistering Benn right hand early in the bout, and he couldn’t drop the smaller man despite plenty of clean combinations upstairs.
In the 12th round, there was something poetic as they went to the ropes above where their legendary fathers were seated and stood flat-footed and threw with everything they had. They were drained by emotion and 11 grueling, physical rounds, but they put on a show like a Rocky movie in the final three minutes.
“I didn’t know he had that,” Eubank Jr. said in praise of his rival. “He’s never shown that. But then again, he’s never had to show what he showed tonight.”
The bout is the clear leader for 2025 Fight of the Year, largely because it wasn’t one-sided. Eubank matched Benn in every category. He shook off blistering punches to the chin. He fought with a nagging cut on the outside of his right eye that dripped blood into his eye for much of the second half of the bout.
He never folded, nor did he hop on the bike and take laps to buy time. He took the tough guy route and stood in the pocket and took the best that Benn had to give.
Eubank Sr. was in awe of both of them. Eubank Jr. alluded to problems before the bout that he wouldn’t address. Eubank Sr. mentioned a lack of mobility Saturday that hampered his son’s performance without getting into the reasons.
“He couldn’t move around the ring, so he had to stand toe-to-toe,” Eubank Sr. said. “I mean, that is legendary behavior in the ring. And this Conor Benn … is an extraordinary fighter.”
The result simply may have come down to volume. Eubank was far busier, and in the close rounds, that could have made a difference in the minds of judges Mark Bates, Lee Every and Kieran McCann.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom
Conor Benn hugs his father, Nigel Benn, after his loss Saturday to Chris Eubank Jr.
According to CompuBox, Eubank was 367 of 912, connecting on 40.2 percent of his punches. Benn hit on 36.3 percent, landing 215 of the 593 he threw.
Eubank had an edge in:
• Punches thrown, 912-593.
• Total punches landed, 367-215.
• Jabs landed, 140-35.
• Power punches landed, 227-180.
In a fight as taut and competitive as this, that likely was the difference in the outcome.
Benn hadn’t fought since a tune-up in Las Vegas on Feb. 3, 2024, and said in retrospect, that might have been a mistake.
“I don’t know,” Benn said, dejectedly, when asked what went wrong. “Maybe 14 months out of the ring. I’d probably say that’s the only thing, maybe that inactivity. Apart from that, it was a close fight. … Maybe I stayed on the ropes a bit too long.”
Benn was trying to be honest, but he did nothing wrong.
Two men under immense pressure met the moment and delivered a sensational battle. No other fight makes sense but Eubank-Benn 2 … Or is that Eubank-Benn 4?
However you label it, know this: These fighters, and these families, sure do know how to put on a show.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom
Chris Eubank Jr. (R) connects with a left to Conor Benn on Saturday.