Nick Peet: Eubank Jr vs Benn preview

LITTLE more than three decades ago the surnames Eubank and Benn guaranteed public attention.

The UK was captivated in both 1990 and 1993 when national sporting heroes Chris and Nigel traded heavy leather for the accolade ‘champion of the world’.

It was a glorious time for boxing and Britain was home to two of the biggest draws in the business, whose sporting rivalry spilled over into something far more marketable.

A pair of world class pugilists with polarizing personalities who wanted to tear one another apart: Prizefighting perfection.

BORN RIVALS

This weekend boxing delivers a modern manifestation of the original rivalry as Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn collide in a manufactured match-up that’s got more to do with pound notes than prizes.

Whilst the sporting credibility of both remain abundantly in the shadow of their fathers, their ‘born rivalry’ has ensured a meeting inside a sold-out football stadium.

Nostalgia most certainly sells and both Chris and Conor are about to ride their father’s reputations all the way to the bank.

That’s not to say they both haven’t played a part in drumming up public interest.

This fight was supposed to happen nearly three years ago, only Benn failed a couple of performance enhancing drug tests – which actually elevated the contest into mainstream consciousness.

This is professional boxing, after all, where there is no such thing as negative press!

Quite how or why clomifene got in Benn’s system remains a mystery, but he’s now officially once more cleared to fight in the UK and financially, for everyone involved, this fight makes the most sense.

CONTENDERS OR PRETENDERS?

Indeed, both Eubank and Benn could have challenged for world titles next.

Both are ranked highly enough and carry enough promotional clout to attract boxing’s biggest opportunity.

Don’t allow the fact these men are miles apart in terms of both experience and physique; the financials trump everything else.

Junior, 35, is a legitimate middleweight contender with bags of experience, especially in domestic dust-ups.

His 34-3 record may be light of a world title fight, but it does include a stint as British champion and the scalps of three former world champions.

Benn, 28, is 23-0 including 14 knockouts, but his largely welterweight run is rather light on opposition.

He won his first 16 fights in just four years, but skipped domestic level tests in order to manoeuvre himself into opportunities against international nearly men.

Even his signature fourth round TKO win over former world champion Chris Algieri at the end of 2021 was overshadowed months later by his positive test results.

NO EASY WAY OUT

As Eubank and Benn are from different weight classes Saturday’s fight at Spurs’ ground comes with a stipulation: neither can put on more than 10lb before the bell after weighing 160lb on Friday morning.

That rehydration clause is to ensure Junior doesn’t blow up two more weight classes overnight, something he’s more than capable of, to at least make it appear a fair fight.

Eubank should prove too big, too experienced and far too talented for Benn, who has struggled to put opponents over since edging above 147lb, never mind up at middleweight.

Father Time, of course, remains undefeated and Benn has fast feet and fast hands. As long as he doesn’t get greedy when in range too early, he should be able to score and pick up points.

But it’s on the backfoot where Conor will struggle and, with Junior opting to walk him down and force Benn up against the ropes, that size and frame will be all too telling.

Precision not passion wins boxing matches. And, 35 years on, the Eubank family fight IQ will orchestrate the outcome once again.

TIP: Eubank by TKO, Rounds 7-9