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One of the best rivalries in modern British boxing history has officially entered the next generation.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that plans are finalized for a showdown between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. The long-discussed grudge match is now set to headline an October 8 DAZN show from The O2 in London.
The fight will be streamed AZN PPV in the UK and Ireland and on DAZN’s main platform elsewhere around the world including the U.S.
The pairing comes 29 years almost to the day of the October 1993 rematch between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr., when the two fought to a draw in front of an announced crowd of 47,000 at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, England. The famed rematch came nearly three years after Eubank stopped Benn in the ninth-round of their November 1990 meeting in Birmingham, England.
“I can’t quite believe this is happening but let me tell you, it’s happening!” said Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman. “Weeks of negotiations have led to one of the biggest moments in British boxing – these two Born Rivals will do battle in an epic match up that has absolutely everything. Ever since they both turned professional, people talked about this moment and now is the time to see the historic rivalry continue.”
Eubank Sr. entered the first fight as the WBO middleweight titlist, with the stakes raised for the rematch. Eubank entered with the WBO super middleweight title, aiming to unify with the elder Benn who held the WBC middleweight title at the time.
No belt will be at stake for the second-generation bout, which comes at an agreed upon catchweight of 156 pounds. Benn (21-0, 14KOs) has fought at welterweight dating back to his April 2016 pro debut, which also took place at The O2. Eubank Jr. (32-2, 23KOs)—who was just one at the time of the first Eubank-Benn fight and four years old at the time of the rematch—has fought primarily at middleweight and super middleweight since turning pro in November 2011. The agreed-upon catchweight will mark the lightest that Eubank has fought, more than two pounds below his current career-low 158 ¼ pounds in October 2014.
The heaviest that Benn has previously weighed for a sanction fight was in April 2019, when he officially checked in at 148 ½ pounds in an eight-round win over Josef Zahradnik. The 25-year-old has weighed between 146-146 ¾ pounds for each of his last seven starts, entering this fight off a second-round knockout of Chris Van Heerden on April 16 at AO Arena in Manchester.
“This fight is for the legacy and was an opportunity I felt I couldn’t pass up,” said Benn. “My team and I had other options on the table as I’m currently ranked top 5 with all governing bodies at Welterweight and no doubt I’m looking for a World Championship fight very soon, but this fight is embedded with so much history and I know it’s one the public really want to see. To me this fight is personal – it’s more than titles and rankings, this is unfinished business between our families!
“Born Rivals is the perfect calling for this fight, because we have always been associated and I’ve always been asked if we’d ever fight, and now I can’t wait for the world to be able to watch us make that happen. All I know is that from my side, this will be an all-out war, last man standing kind of fight. Neither will give up until the last bell rings. I won’t be looking to take this to the score cards though, this will be explosive from the off. I’m so up for this.”
Eubank Jr. has weighed at or just under the super middleweight limit during a six-fight campaign in that division. The run included a two-fight stint in the World Boxing Super Series tournament, where he advanced to the semifinal round before losing a twelve-round decision to countryman George Groves with the WBA super middleweight title fight at stake—his lone major title fight to date.
The super middleweight stretch ended with a twelve-round decision over former IBF titlist James DeGale in February 2019 before returning to middleweight later that year. Just four fights have followed, including a twelve-round nod over Wales’ Liam Williams. Eubank Jr. scored four knockdowns en route to winning by scores of 116-108, 116-108 and 117-109 in their February 2022 clash.
The 32-year-old has since spent much of the year calling out several big names but mainly fixated on domestic grudge matches with Benn and former welterweight titlist Kell Brook. The former has finally transpired, leaving both sides with unfinished business.
“I grew up watching their legendary battles and always wanting to emulate that, and find my own arch nemesis… could this now be Conor Benn? We will find out,” said Eubank Jr. “He has walked the same path as I have. I know his struggle. Living in the shadow of a legend and trying to break out of that shadow and make his own name. If he can beat me, his name will be made, and he will never walk in his father’s shadow again.
“It’s a fight that’s going to spark the imagination of the British public, that’s what I’m happy about. In terms of anticipation, legacy and hype it’s the biggest fight of my career.”
Benn was not born at the time of either fight between the famous fathers and was just six weeks old by the time Nigel Benn fought for the last time in November 1996. Eubank Sr. fought until 1998, nearly pulling off a massive upset in a WBO cruiserweight title bid versus Carl Thompson before suffering the lone stoppage defeat of his career, when he was forced to retire on his stool after the ninth round of their July 1998 rematch.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox