Fierce rivalry: Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn had a scandalous first press conference ahead of their fight on April 26 at Tottenham Stadium.
On April 26, the long-awaited duel between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will finally take place, but the press conference in Manchester already had it all. Eubank Jr. hit his rival in the face with a raw egg – a deliberate sideswipe at Benn’s earlier doping allegations.
The fight between Eubank Jr. (34-3, 25 knockouts) and Benn (23-0, 14 knockouts) is much more than a normal duel. It is the continuation of a legendary family feud: Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr. fought two epic bouts in the 1990s that are still considered British boxing history today. It was already known that their sons were anything but fond of each other. But with Eubank Jr.’s egg toss, the rivalry has reached a new level.
The background to the egg strike
The fight was due to take place in 2022, but shortly beforehand it became known that Benn had tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug clomiphene. Benn denied any wrongdoing and explained the results with his high egg consumption – a reason that drew a lot of ridicule at the time. “Apparently egg contamination was the reason for his two failed drug tests. So I contaminated him with an egg,” Chris Eubank Jr. gloated at the press conference after the scandal.
At the first big press conference on Tuesday, Eubank Jr. used exactly that as an attack. After minutes of trash talk, he reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out an egg and smashed it right into Benn’s face. Nigel Benn reacted immediately and grabbed Eubank Jr. by the neck before the teams intervened and the chaos escalated. The scene went viral within minutes.
Of course, Conor Benn did not take the action lying down. He announced his intention to stop Eubank Jr. early: “That’s the only punch you’re going to give me, you fucking asshole. You’re done after two rounds.” Eubank replied: “I’m the better boxer. He can’t beat me. That’s impossible.”
In addition to the emotional lead-up, there are also sporting aspects that are causing discussion. Benn moves up two weight classes to middleweight, which gives Eubank Jr. a clear advantage. To make the fight fairer, a rehydration clause was introduced: Neither fighter can weigh over 170 pounds (77.1 kg) on fight day – with a $500,000 fine for every pound over that limit.
Text by Robin Josten