IT’S difficult to forget the darkness that came before. On Saturday evening, Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn did exactly that. In the build-up, there was much to loathe. When we finally reached the desired destination, there was much to love. Eubank and Benn bared their souls in a truly epic fight. It might not have matched what their fathers served up in 1990. But it came incredibly close.
In different ways, both fighters showed something we didn’t think they had. Eubank showed that he still had enough in the tank to go deep into his well. Benn showed that he was a much better fighter than many thought he was. He didn’t win the fight. But maybe he won a bigger battle.
Eubank got a unanimous decision after 12 beyond-savage rounds. All three judges scored it the same way, 116-112 across the board. I had it slightly closer, giving it to Eubank by two rounds. He found something in the last two rounds that very few fighters can find.
Fighting sheer exhaustion, Eubank somehow dug deep enough to pull the fight out when it seemed to be turning against him. Those final six sensational minutes sealed his victory. When the legs had stopped working, the heart took over.
The fight exceeded all expectations. It had no right to be that good. Over 60,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium witnessed something special. A remarkable fight that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. It might have been built on nostalgia. But it deserves to be respected in its own right. Their fathers were reunited. But now the two sons have forged their own slice of history.
There was the inevitable talk of running it back in September. But both need a long rest after giving so much. Probably more than they should have. At 35, I would like to see Eubank walk away. The body can only take so much; it most certainly doesn’t need to have to endure a brutal weight cut to middleweight and an unforgiving and dangerous rehydration thrown in for even more jeopardy. No amount of promotional bias can justify that. Just because you got away with it once doesn’t mean you will do so again.
Chris Eubank Jr. has now written himself a fitting final chapter. A famous win with his father again by his side would be the perfect end to his career. I seriously doubt he can give so much again. What was left of his prime has now gone further into the distance. Eubank likes to gamble. But sometimes you have to know when to fold.
At just 28, Benn can come again, probably at welterweight, which, in truth, is where he belongs. In many ways, Benn still needs refinement. But despite the devastating defeat, he proved his point.
I couldn’t get invested in the fight prior. Everything around it just left a sour taste. But inside the ring, Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn changed all that. I doubt I will see a better fight all year. It might have lacked for a little finesse at times.
Despite the theatre, it still had an air of a faded weight-drained fighter trading blows with a much smaller fighter still learning his trade. But it most certainly didn’t lack for excitement or drama.
Sometimes, you just have to strip away all the outside noise and just appreciate and marvel at what these incredible warriors give for us. When boxing is so hard to justify at times, sometimes you need nights like this. I didn’t think boxing needed this fight. I think differently now.
