By Daniel Smith
ON the night of their bout, Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn stepped into the ring not merely as fighters but as living characters in a narrative written long before their time.
Through the bloodlines of their fathers’ battles, both were privileged to carry the names of Eubank and Benn — yet, in equal measure, they were bound by the shadows cast by those thrilling, brutal fights 34 years ago.
For any son of Eubank or Benn who laced up a pair of gloves, it was never just a fight; it was an inheritance. A blood obligation to uphold their clan’s name.
From the outset, Eubank Jr. has played the antagonist in boxing’s great narrative. Arrogant, aloof, unyielding. Eubank Jr once vowed to train harder to ensure he would never receive such punishment as 2016 opponent Nick Blackwell endured. His words were harsh, unsympathetic, and cold, yet brutally aligned with the risks, dangers, and merciless truths the sport holds.
In contrast, more so early in his career, Conor Benn was embraced as the protagonist — the humble son of a ferocious former world middleweight champion. A young man who found boxing late, without the advantage of a long amateur pedigree, yet who chose to forge his own path beneath the pressures and expectations attached to the Benn name.
Through hard work and dedication, Conor refused to ride the coattails of his father’s reputation and began to claim his own place within boxing. Benn’s raw honesty and struggles bearing the expectations of his father’s name cast him in a humble and genuine light, and those in boxing warmed to him in favour of Eubank Jr’s cold, brutal, conceited, egotistical manner and demeanour.
Like Chris Jr., Conor was discouraged from the ring by his father, the very man who inspired his ambitions. Naturally, Nigel wanted his son to start his own lineage away from fighting, away from the dangers, hazards, and health risks boxing posed.
Both Seniors, Eubank and Benn, knew better than anyone the destruction their fists had wrought during their era. Against Chris Eubank Snr, Michael Watson suffered a near-fatal brain injury, was in a coma for 40 days, had six brain operations, and was left with permanent neurological disabilities that impaired his speech and mobility.
In 1995, Gerald McClellan traded blows and pieces of himself in a savage encounter with Nigel Benn. McClellan later collapsed in his corner due to a blood clot and severe brain trauma, was hospitalised, and underwent emergency surgery
The American was left with permanent neurological and physical disabilities, affecting his sight, hearing, mobility, and cognitive function. McClellan slipped into a darkness he would never return from.
For men who lived with the consequences of the devastation their own fists had caused, it was little wonder that Chris and Nigel stood fiercely against their sons stepping into the most brutal and unforgiving of arenas.
Nevertheless, both Junior and Conor pursued their ambitions, later weaving new threads and scribing new chapters into the thrilling, blood-soaked narrative their fathers spawned within British boxing.
By 2022, the public’s perception of Eubank Jr. began to shift, with Benn’s once-clean image tarnished and shrouded in shadiness following two adverse findings. If Conor Benn was now boxing’s unclean villain, forcing Junior to drain and whittle himself down to 157 pounds, with a 10-pound rehydration clause imposed on the same day of the fight, then Eubank’s character had evolved and transformed.
Stepping from the shade into the light, Eubank became the protagonist of this narrative, fighting not just a rival to protect his family’s legacy but also a monster in Conor Benn.
Ahead of the contest, Eubank single-handedly won each battle outside the ring against the Benns and Matchroom Promotions. He carefully and articulately navigated through press conference after press conference, convincing all who heard the tone of his smooth blend of American-English voice that poetic justice would be a dish best served brutally to a drug cheat like Conor Benn.
Outside of elite-level ring IQ, millisecond reflexes, and precision measured footwork – from the first to the last bell – the fight was a thrilling, brutal, and punishing affair. Both Eubank Junior and Conor Benn tore pieces from each other, both motivated by the same ambitions of pride, victory, legacy, lineage, and honouring one’s father.
Both men left shards of themselves between the ropes the night they fought. Although Eubank earned the unanimous decision, whether from painful weight cuts, dehydration, or age, the fight took more out of him. With cautionary hospitalisation after the fight, reserves depleted, it now seems doubtful Eubank Junior’s body will ever again recognise or safely perform at a weight strain of 160 pounds.
Despite offering a good account of himself at middleweight, it wasn’t Benn’s night, with most shrugging off Hearn’s claims that he was the people’s champion. However, Benn’s shamed and vilified perception has since shifted. His name is no longer associated with being the son of Nigel ‘The Dark Destroyer’ Benn, nor mixed with stain or scandal concerning performance-enhancing drugs.
Conor Benn – like Chris Eubank Jr. – is now framed as a man who fought valiantly, hurt and rattled his opponent in much the same way he was shaken and staggered himself. He stood his ground, upheld his family name, and kept fighting until the final bell.
Eubank Jr. and Benn are no longer captives to their fathers’ story and legacy. Once the final bell sounded of the final round, it was evident that Chris and Conor had carved their own narrative.
Each blow traded became a word. Each round a chapter. The fight is now their own story. A fitting (possible) end to a rivalling boxing family feud that spans across 30 years and two generations.
But with contract obligations looming alongside the toll Junior paid to make 160 pounds still a concern, a rematch feels unlikely. And if it does happen, it’s hard to see it recapturing what the first fight gave. Therefore, going their separate ways – Benn back down to the welterweight 147 pounds division to fight Mario Barrios for the WBC title, Vergil Ortiz Jr, Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, or even Harlem Eubank – seems more viable.
As for Eubank Jr., with Canelo Alvarez tied up in Saudi contracts to face Terence Crawford, he may wish to turn his attention elsewhere. Whatever comes next for both Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will be compelling for British boxing.
