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Saturday night bore witness to a modern-day British boxing classic, as Chris Eubank Jr (35-3, 25KO) and Conor Benn (23-1, 14KO) battled through 12 scintillating rounds at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, writing the latest chapter in their families’ historic rivalry.
Eubank Jr. ensured the bragging rights stayed on his side, defeating Benn via unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the bout 116-112 — a triumph made even sweeter by the shock appearance of his father, Chris Eubank Sr, marking a heartfelt moment after years of animosity between the two.
The bout stunned the boxing world, with both fighters delivering a performance worthy of rivalling the legendary clashes their fathers shared in the nineties — and sparking an inevitable public outcry for a rematch between the born rivals.
But sometimes, less is more, and there’s a strong argument that a rematch isn’t needed — allowing this historic night in London to stand alone, a remarkable and singular moment for fans of the sweet science to cherish for decades to come.
The inevitable financial lure of a rematch will be difficult for two prizefighters to resist, but both men have much more to chase beyond what would undoubtedly be a lucrative second showdown.
Final Roll Of The Dice For Chris Eubank Jr To Win Major World Title
Chris Eubank Jr, alongside his father, secured family bragging rights on Saturday night, but had to endure a gruelling and potentially dangerous weight cut to make the 160lb limit on the morning of the bout — a sacrifice that ultimately cost him £375,000.
The difficult weight cut and the punishment endured over twelve hard-fought rounds are the kinds of tolls that shorten a fighter’s career — and for Eubank, now 35 and fourteen years into his professional journey, time is already running short.
Although Eubank captured the IBO world middleweight title in 2024, he has yet to claim a world championship from one of boxing’s four major sanctioning bodies (WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF).
This opens opportunities to take on current WBA champion Erislandy Lara (31-3-3, 19KO), IBF and WBO champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12KO) or WBC champion Carlos Adames (24-1-1, 18KO) fought at a more natural and, most importantly, safer weight.
A return to super-middleweight is also feasible, with Eubank previously having held the IBO version of the world title at 168lb, to challenge the winner of this weekend’s undisputed clash between Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KO) and William Scull (23-0, 9 KO).
Canelo enters this weekend’s clash in Riyadh as the heavy favourite, as he so often does, and a bout with the Mexican star would offer Eubank not only the opportunity to pursue further championship gold but also to secure a lucrative payday.
Conor Benn Returning To 147lb Division To Challenge For World Titles
Despite suffering the first loss of his professional career on Saturday night, Conor Benn emerged with immense credit after going the full championship distance against Chris Eubank Jr — a naturally bigger fighter, competing two weight classes above his usual welterweight limit.
Benn also endured a 14-month spell of inactivity following a ban for a failed drug test, but he will now aim to stay active during what promises to be the most pivotal period of his in-ring career.
The lure of a rematch with his old rival may prove tempting, not only for the financial rewards but also for the chance to finally deliver the Benn family’s first victory over the Eubank name.
But maybe now is the time to put the family grudge to one side, at least for now as Benn returns to the 147lb division in search of his first shot at world title glory, following in his fathers footsteps and capturing the WBC title.
The title currently held by American Mario Barrios is a challenge Benn is eager to pursue, with promoter Eddie Hearn also keen to see the 28-year-old return to the welterweight division and compete at the elite level.
There is, of course, the option to stage another Eubank-Benn clash — this time at the 147lb limit — with Conor facing fellow welterweight Harlem Eubank to write the next chapter in the storied rivalry between two families forever linked by battles in the ring.
