Chris Eubank Jr is in a battle of heart and head when it comes to facing Conor Benn in the future.
The pair were due to reignite their fathers’ historic ring rivalry in October of 2022 before news of Benn’s failed doping tests saw it pulled at the very last minute.
Whilst the young welterweight appeals his case to the WBC and British Boxing Board of Control, Eubank has a fight with Liverpool’s Liam Smith to focus on.
Should he come through that, he told Good Morning Britain that the Benn fight is ‘much bigger now’, claiming that ‘everybody loves a scandal.’
“If he gets cleared – when he gets cleared – the fight has to happen. The interesting thing now it’s not just our dad’s fought so now we have to fight. Now we have our own story, our own history, our own beef.”
'It's not just our dad's fought so now we have to fight, now we have our own history, our own beef.'@ChrisEubankJr says if Conor Benn gets cleared, 'the fight has to happen'. pic.twitter.com/PsXpXWBHd3
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) January 12, 2023
Having said that, Eubank is cautious that Benn’s situation should be made an example out of for young people coming up in the sport of boxing. He told TalkSPORT that his heart says his would-be opponent should be banned.
“My heart says he should be banned, there should be an example made of him so kids coming up understand what happens if you fail drugs tests. There’s two sides of the coin, we’ll see what happens.”
In terms of the fight itself should it happen, Eubank is clear that he’s the shot caller given what’s gone on. For example, he will refuse in future to the 157lb catchweight that was so discussed in the lead up to their previously scheduled bout.
“He’s lost all his privileges, there’s not gonna be any rehydration clauses and crazy weights I have to make. The ball is fully in my court now, he’s lost all that after what he did.”
Before it’s properly discussed again, Eubank has a battle in the ring with Smith on January 21, and Benn has one outside of it with the powers that be.