Is the Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn fight back on?
Despite heavy talk back in November from Eubank about how Benn had blown his chance at a bout, it looks as if the deal is all but done.
Last October, this generational clash which promised so much for the boxing public was undone when a drugs test fiasco showed Conor Benn to have prohibited levels of clomifene in his system. The fight was called off and an exhaustive four-month investigation led to Benn being exonerated and reinstated by the WBC.
Throughout the investigation, while Benn protested his innocence, Eubank pulled no punches in both the traditional media and on social media, referring to Benn as “playing the victim” and stating that he was “100 percent sure” that his familial rival had knowingly taken the drug.
While the WBC’s investigation concluded that it was likely that Benn’s test had been skewed by a diet involving a “highly-elevated consumptin of eggs,” that was not enough for the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) to reinstate Benn’s license to fight in the UK.
Now it appears that it is all but a done deal for the Cheris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn fight to be held in Abu Dhabi on June 3, bypassing the British license issue and promising a significant payday for both boxers.
Eubank Jr went on to fight Liam Smith after the Benn fight collapsed, with Smith dropping and stopping Eubank for the first time in his professional career.
While Eubank has activated his rematch clause to face Smith again, Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn insists that their second fight is far from official.
“He’s not signed to fight Smith and the money for Conor Benn is two or three times what he would get to fight Smith.”
While there are reports that both Kell Brook and Manny Pacquiao are interested in facing Eubank, the big money is in the Conor Benn fight, a clash that has set the British public’s imagination alight. In the wider boxing world, it may be less known, but the number of pay per views in the UK would mean that both fighters would get a handsome payday.
It would appear that the fight will be held at a catchweight of 157lbs rather than the previously agreed 160lbs. This would give a slight edge to Benn, who normally fights at welterweight. He would need to gain ten pounds for the bout, while Eubank, who normally fights at middleweight would need to cut three pounds to make the weight.