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The fireworks started early as the fighters on the highly anticipated card, headlined by Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn, faced off at the fight week press conference. Set to be one of the most-watched fight nights of the year, the five-bout card is stacked with compelling matchups, as emotions begin to rise with Saturday night fast approaching.
Here is five talking points from the explosive Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn press conference on Thursday evening.
Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn: Eubank Says Benn Is Feeling The Pressure
Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn faced off in a fiery confrontation as they gear up to reignite a 35-year family rivalry this weekend at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The tension was palpable, with both men needing to be separated, each unwilling to back down.
An emotionally charged Eubank admitted he’s feeding off the excitement surrounding the highly anticipated grudge match, noting the positive response from fans — a rare occurrence for him.
“I’ve felt the energy on the streets of the UK over these last two months and it’s real,” said the 35-year-old. “People are invested in this, everywhere I go people are screaming and most of the time its positive which is a new thing for me.”
The two-weight world champion believes his opponent is struggling to handle the pressure surrounding the fight, feeling that he relocated his training camp abroad to escape the public and media scrutiny following his failed drug test, which derailed their originally scheduled bout in 2022.
“Theres a reason why the he had his training camp in Spain, the kid had to flee his own country to prepare for this fight,” said Eubank. “He knew that he couldn’t handle the pressure of walking these UK streets and having people shouting out drug cheat and egg jokes, he didn’t want to be involved in any of that.”
Nigel Benn Says Conor Made IBF World Champion Quit In Sparring
Conor Benn has been testing him against elite level competition as he prepares for the test of jumping up two weight divisions to take on Eubank Jr on Saturday.
It has been revealed that the unbeaten fighter has been sparring with Denzel Bentley, Bruno Surace and IBF super-middleweight world champion William Scull, with father Nigel Benn sharing his son made the latter quit after eight rounds.
Brandon Glanton Hits Out At Cruiserweight Duo
American cruiserweight Brandon Glanton wasted no time stirring up controversy in his division, taking aim at both his Saturday opponent Chris Billam-Smith and British titleholder Chev Clarke.
Glanton enters the clash with Billam-Smith riding a streak of three consecutive stoppage wins, while the British cruiserweight looks to rebound from his defeat to the rugged Mexican, Zurdo Ramirez, in their world title unification bout in Saudi Arabia.
“At the media workout in 2023 when Okolie and Billam fought he was very disrespectful,” said 33-year-old. “I just wanted to congratulate him for reaching the stage where I want to be, I stuck my hand out and he walked straight past me.”
“We’re men before we’re fighters, and he is a father before he’s a fighter, your son has a b*#ch as a father. I don’t care about these cameras, these lights, I’m gonna f*#k you up thats why I’m here, I’m gonna give you brain damage.”
The former WBO World champion wasn’t the only fighter at the presser Glanton hurled insults towards, also calling out Clarke who is set to defend his British title against undefeated prospect Vidal Riley. The pair exchanged heated words, sparking a fresh wave of animosity.
Liam Smith Senses And Aaron McKenna Share Confidence Ahead Of Clash
Middleweight rivals Liam Smith and Aaron McKenna each expressed confidence ahead of their Saturday night showdown — a clash being billed as youth versus experience.
Liverpudlian Smith has faced a spell of inactivity in recent years due to injuries and illness, but remains confident that his experience will prove decisive as he returns to the ring looking to bounce back from his 2023 loss to Chris Eubank Jr.
“You’ve got an 18-foot ring, come out southpaw, orthodox or whatever way you want I’ll get you,” said Smith. “Aaron will start very competitive very early but I’ll break him down and be too good for him late on.”
The 25-year-old Irishman steps into the biggest challenge of his career, with a win on Saturday night poised to launch his trajectory toward potential world title contention.
“I’m not going to be taking a step back, I believe i’m the stronger guy after six-rounds, you’re expecting me to get tired I think it’s going to go the other way around,” said McKenna.
He added, “I think I knock him out, I meet him in the middle of the ring and push him back, half-way through the fight thats when I really drive forward and take over.”
Anthony Yarde Aiming To KO Lyndon Arthur In Trilogy
With one win apiece, Anthony Yarde and Lyndon Arthur enter their trilogy clash looking to settle the score — a high-stakes bout that carries a ‘loser-goes-home’ feel. Arthur edged out a narrow split decision victory over Yarde in their first encounter in 2020, before Yarde claimed revenge with a fourth-round stoppage in their 2021 rematch.
Yarde shared that he felt disrespected by Arthur following their first contest and still has a chip on his shoulder aiming for a second consecutive stoppage win against ‘King Arthur’.
“I see some interviews where he’s gloating and stuff talking about it was easy, second fight come up I said I’m going to knock him out, i’m going to show him what I’m about and that chip still hasn’t gone I’ll be honest with you so I’m looking forward to it,” said Yarde.
