Lodged away in a boxing gym close to Lambeth station in London, Chris Eubank Jr. is stretching. Despite the camera crew, the noise from other ferocious boxers smashing the pads, and the deliberate high heat making everyone sweat profusely, Chris is not here, at least not mentally. His eyes don’t flinch from the flashes, he is distracted by no sounds; like a samurai preparing for war, he is calm and collected.
He is just a few weeks removed from the biggest, most historical event of the year. But for Chris personally, it’s more than just a spectacle: it’s the most personal fight of his life.
Chris Eubank Jr. versus Conor Benn takes place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26, 2025. The historical implications, bad blood, and continuous media hype have been documented for some time for one reason: these two young men are the sons of iconic boxers Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn, both of whom fought each other twice over three decades ago. Eubank Sr. won the first fight, and the second was considered a draw. Now, their sons are going to fight, and they do not like each other.
Just a few weeks ago, during a face-off leading up to the fight, Eubank Jr. smashed a raw egg across the face of Benn, resulting in fireworks as Benn unsuccessfully lunged at his opponent before being held back by security. In the following highly publicised Piers Morgan interview, Morgan asked Eubank Jr. if he regretted what he did. “I regret not having two eggs in my hand,” Eubank Jr responded.
The reason for the titanic animosity between these two fighters is partly due to the history between their two last names, but for Chris, it’s something much more personal.
As he mentioned several times in the Piers Morgan interview, Conor Benn was once caught for performance-enhancing substances, which are, of course, very illegal. In the world of combat, where you are risking your life every time you step into the ring, a chemically enhanced performance can mean the difference between life and death. With eyebrows continuing to rise when it comes to the safety, or lack thereof, in boxing, Chris Eubank Jr. was adamant that this is simply not something he could let slide.
“He’s a cheater, plain and simple,” he says. “So now there’s a lot of bad blood, a lot of beef. Conor and I have our own narrative, our own story, which is now maybe even bigger than what our fathers had. This fight is very personal.”
At 35 years old, Eubank Jr. will be the older fighter against Benn, who is 28. Having fought and often excelled in the super-middleweight division, Benn is moving up two weight classes from 147 to 160 lbs to face the larger fighter in Eubank Jr., something people say will be one of the main factors in his downfall against the bigger, stronger, taller, more experienced fighter. But as I watch Eubank Jr. spar round after round against men who have been put in the ring for one purpose, to make him hurt, it becomes increasingly clear that this is hardly physical and almost entirely mental. Yes, Chris has the physicality of an animated Street Fighter character, but it’s the mental warfare and toughness that has everybody talking.
“I’m fighting the son of my father’s archnemesis, so that’s always in the back of my mind. But it’s the lonesliest, cruelest profession you could possibly imagine. When that bell goes, it’s just you in there, there’s no one there to save you. So,” he pauses, “I cut my emotions off. My heartbeat doesn’t change. There’s nothing that can be done or said to me that hasn’t already been done ten times worse, a hundred times already in my life. So nothing scares me anymore.”
As he steps out of the ring after 10 rounds of intense sparring, I can’t help but think about the not-so-clandestine elephant in the room, this being that, unlike the close bond between Conor and Nigel Benn, Eubank Jr. has no relationship with his father, Chris Eubank Sr. Why? Well, whatever the exact reasons may be, one thing is clear: Chris doesn’t care, and if he does, we’d never know.
If Eubank Jr. wins, he might potentially fight for the title against one of the most decorated fighters of all time, Canelo Alvarez. But despite the glory and implications of that fight, any surrounding drama couldn’t come close to what’s currently unfolding for this one.
As I watch Chris smile and laugh with his team as they assist in undoing his handwraps, I find myself in awe: was this the same guy who just pummeled his opponents in the ring a few seconds ago, nevertheless the guy who knocked out Kamil Szeremeta in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia less than a year ago? Benn’s attitude is clear: obliterate what I can in front of me. But like a trained bullfighter, Eubank Jr. appears to have all the answers.
Before we finish, I ask about Eubank Jr.’s decision to move to Dubai, something that has been in the pipeline for some time and a move that has been echoed by yet another London-based boxer, Richard Riakporhe, also managed by Stefan Wesson.
“The weather’s great, and you don’t pay taxes,” he smiles. “Who wouldn’t want that?”
Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn takes place on April 26, 2025.
To watch the fight in the The UAE, click here. To buy tickets for the fight, click here.
