Tony Bellew has made an emphatic prediction about what would happen should Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn finally get in the ring together – and it involves a knockout inside five rounds.
Eubank and Benn were supposed to fight well over a year ago but the contest was canceled in fight week when news emerged that Benn had failed two drug tests. Since then he has been involved in a still unresolved saga and doesn’t currently have a licence with the British Boxing Board of Control. He recently fought stateside, however, and since then talk has been building of the fight with Eubank getting remade for the end of the year.
Eubank has twice fought Liam Smith since the ill-fated bout with Benn – he lost their first encounter by knockout and then reversed that with his own 10th round stoppage in the rematch.
Speaking to Ade Oladipo, Bellew mused on how many seats the potential all-British grudge match could sell.
“Whenever them two boys come together in a boxing ring they will sell every single seat possible wherever they go.
They could sell 100, 000. I’m not sure it happens on the 23rd [of December] but I promise you if it does happen on the 23rd there won’t be a spare seat. I can’t explain how important history is in the business. If there’s a storyline it’s getting made.”
Bellew was then asked for a prediction and he didn’t hesitate to go big on Benn.
“Conor Benn knocks him out inside five rounds. Too explosive. Too young. Too quick. Inside five rounds, I don’t even question it. That wasn’t Liam Smith in the rematch.”
