Chris Eubank Jr is open to facing Conor Benn in the future following their fight cancellation, but the Brighton man will be setting the terms this time around.
When the Eubank Benn bout was announced, much was made about the weight disparity. In fact, it was the one thing standing in the way of a genuine super fight with a family rivalry to boot.
Eubank Jr cut down to 157b – a number he said he hadn’t seen on the scales since his teenage years. Despite his efforts, it was on Benn that the event was pulled. News broke during fight week that he had tested positive for a banned substance.
When asked if a future fight – which both promoters now claim is bigger than ever – would be at the catchweight again, Eubank answered defiantly.
Speaking to Boxing Social at a media scrum, he said:
“Absolutely not. He has to come up to 160 now if he wants to fight me. He has no pulling power. He has no credibility. The ball’s in my court. So if he wants to fight, he has to do it on my terms.”
Not many can disagree with the way he sees it, especially considering what he put his body through to make the contracted weight. Despite some mind games and jokes in training camp, the 32-2 fighter said getting down to 3lb less than his usual fighting weight was ‘horrible.’
“It was horrible. Making the weight even after finding out the fight wasn’t going to happen, that was tough. It was tough enough doing it knowing you’re fighting, but when you know that there’s nothing coming from it after you make the weight, that was horrible. But I did it because I’m a man of my word. It’s something that’s not fuelled me. I went through a camp, I didn’t fight. It made me want to get back in the ring as soon as possible.”
Whilst everyone involved would still be on board with making the fight, what happens now largely falls at Benn’s door. He is currently under investigation as to the failed doping tests, the results of which will determine when he can fight again.
If the pair do meet in the ring, Eubank Jr will be claiming the A side – and surely nobody can deny him that.