In a chaotic final press conference ahead of their long-awaited bout, Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn traded barbs in a spectacle that matched the hype surrounding their controversial fight. Held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the event quickly descended into pantomime theatrics, with Eubank Jr stealing the spotlight from the outset.
Eubank Jr repeatedly interrupted Benn’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, silencing him with cutting remarks and claiming that fans wanted to hear from the fighters, not the promoters. The interruption flustered Hearn, who eventually left the stage and handed over to Matchroom Boxing CEO Frank Smith. But even Smith, who has a personal connection to Eubank Jr through his sister, Emily, found little success in navigating the tense atmosphere. Eubank Jr, with typical dry humour, dismissed him too, saying, “If I’m not letting Eddie speak then there is no way you are getting a chance.”
With the promoters silenced, attention turned to the fighters. Eubank Jr, 35, spoke with calm confidence about his preparation and experience, drawing a sharp contrast between his dedication to the sport and Benn’s troubled past with drug test controversies. The elder fighter, referencing Benn’s two failed drug tests which caused the cancellation of their original bout in 2022, insisted he had always played the game cleanly.
“The mentality I have, the experience, fortitude, and will is what I will use on the night to take out Conor Benn,” Eubank Jr said, clearly relishing the psychological edge he believes he holds.
Benn, 28, appeared unfazed, declaring, “I feel no pressure. This is what I do. This is what I live for… I’m more than prepared, I’m more than ready.” Yet, he resisted getting drawn into a verbal war, brushing off Eubank’s accusations and antics with a shrug. “I’m not going to lower myself to Chris and go back and forth. We’re not at school now. I don’t need to call him names.”
But Eubank Jr wasn’t done. He claimed that Benn had fled the UK to train in Spain to escape public backlash. “He couldn’t handle the pressure of walking the UK streets and having people shouting ‘drug cheat’ and making egg jokes,” Eubank Jr said. “He thinks he can use me to get back into the good graces [of the public]. I haven’t hid. I’ve felt the energy on UK streets.”
Their exchange veered into raw emotion when Eubank Jr reflected on personal tragedy. “What is pain?” he asked. “I have a 31-year-old brother who is buried in the desert in Dubai – that is pain. His three-year-old son asks, ‘Why can’t I see my daddy?’ That is pain. My own father hasn’t spoken to me in years. He thinks I’m a disgrace.”
He made it clear that beating Benn now meant more than just winning a fight. “Before Conor got caught cheating, this was just business. Now it’s about getting this kid out of boxing. I have a duty to the sport and the fans he’s lied to.”
Benn responded with a fiery promise of his own: “I’m coming to take his head off.”
Their face-off ended without physicality, just a long, intense stare under the stadium lights two men bound by legacy, rivalry, and controversy. As Saturday night looms, the drama promises to finally move from the circus of the press room to the ring, where the true resolution awaits.
