“How many weeks till the fight?” asks Chris Eubank Jr, as he batters the pads and sends a warning to Conor Benn.
The answer is just under five, which explains the training camp clips beginning to filter out from both fighters. It’s building hype for a fight that has it in spades already, but also giving us a chance to see how both men are looking ahead of October 8.
In a clip posted to Instagram by Eddie Hearn, the heavier man’s power is on show as he throws clinical shots at a pad tower. In between punches, Eubank Jr repeats “This boy is in trouble.”
It’s hard to read into his frame to get an idea of weight at this stage. One, because he rarely looks out of shape regardless, and two because there’s plenty of time to come down to meet the catchweight of 157 lbs.
Amongst the weight talk though, there’s also a question of strategies for both fighters. What game plan will each man enter the ring with? If this training clip is anything to go by – which, admittedly, they rarely are – it looks like Eubank Jr fancies an early night. Fighters don’t get paid overtime etc.
He’ll be boosted by the recent announcement that his father, Chris Eubank Sr, has agreed to be in his corner on the night. Benn has confirmed the same for his old man, making it a sort-of third fight in the old rivalry that saw Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn capture the nation with their thrilling exchanges.
Eubank Sr won one and the other was called a draw. Decades later, we’ll see how the sons measure up in a sold out O2 Arena on October 8, live on DAZN PPV.