Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn 2 is taking shape
Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn 2 is targeted for September 27 at Tottenham Hotspur FC stadium in London, promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed.
“I know September 27, back at Spurs, is a date that he [Turki Alalshikh] has put forward and proposed,” Benn’s promoter told Sky Sports.
“We’re ready really, we signed the contract for two fights. Conor’s just desperate to run it back. He feels he’s going to improve a lot going into that fight.
“[It was] his first fight in 14-15 months, at 160lbs. And both fighters deserve so much credit, we’d love to run it back.”
The next generation reignited the famous British rivalry that originally begun in the 1990s when Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn became the world’s biggest boxing rivals. Eubank inflicted the second defeat upon Benn’s record in November 1990 with a ninth-round TKO, then they fought to an epic almost three years later in 1993 in a super-middleweight unification at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United.
Junior and Conor were initially meant to meet in October 2022, but the fight was cancelled just 48 hours before when the British Boxing Board of Control intervened after Benn tested positive in two pre-fight drug tests. Matchroom were audaciously planning to go ahead with the event anyway, until the BBBofC stepped in and subsequently suspended Benn.
It took until May 2024 for Benn to eventually be cleared of any wrongdoing, allowing his grudge match with Eubank Jr to be rescheduled on British shores.
Following the drawn out PEDs scandal, Eubank Jr sensibly increased the weight limit from a catchweight of 157lbs to 160lbs middleweight limit, where he has won an IBO world title very recently.
However, the playing field was levelled for Benn with a 10lbs rehydration clause, limiting the bigger boxer, Eubank.
Subsequently, Chris missed the weight limit by half an ounce and was fined £375k. Prior to the bout, he publicly shared his struggle to make weight, uploading images and video clips of him using saunas and sweat suits in an attempt to boil down to the weight limit.
It is so far understood that the same weight limits will be in place for the rematch, which is a concern to many.