LONDON, England — Chris Eubank Jr. admitted that from the very first round of his rematch with Conor Benn, he knew something was wrong and that victory was likely out of reach. Eubank (35-4, 25 KOs) looked a shadow of the man who edged Benn in a Fight of the Year contender back in April. This time, he dropped a wide unanimous decision in the return bout with Benn (24-1, 14 KOs). Dominating behind a sharp jab and fast one-twos before scoring two heavy knockdowns in the final round to seal the rivalry.
“I’ve been through hell and back to make it here today,” Eubank said at the post-fight press conference. “I genuinely thought that regardless of the issues that I’ve been dealing with, I would be able to go in there and win, use my boxing skills, use what you guys saw in that first fight to beat Conor Benn. From that first round, I realised that I was mistaken, but it’s okay, I’m a fighter, this is what I do.
“I tried my best. Conor Benn put on a hell of a fight. He had a great performance. He did everything that was asked of him, and I congratulate him for his performance.”
Pressed on what he meant by going “through hell and back,” Eubank chose not to elaborate, instead deflecting attention back to his rival.
“No, this is not about me,” he said. “This night’s about Conor. He did what he needed to do to win, he fought a great fight, and I’m not here to talk about me. He is a tough man. He’s a great fighter, and I respect him.”
Brutal Honesty
Eubank also conceded that it was obvious. Even to viewers, that he wasn’t the same fighter who won the first encounter.
“You guys saw what I was in there tonight,” the 36-year-old said. “Yeah, I thought that once those bright lights hit I’d find something, and I tried. I tried hard, but it wasn’t there, and Conor was strong, and he was fast, and he was tough.
“You share a ring with a man for 24 rounds now, of course you have that respect for him.”
The loss appears to derail any lingering hopes of future blockbuster fights against the likes of Canelo Alvarez or Hamzah Sheeraz. Earlier in the week Eubank revealed that he and his partner are expecting twin boys. In the wake of this defeat, there will inevitably be calls for him to consider retirement.
For now, Eubank says boxing decisions can wait.
“I’m not really in the state of mind to be thinking about next fights, I need to heal,” he said. “I need to deal with what I’m dealing with, and then after that I can start thinking about my path in the sport.”
Conor Benn Finally Breaks the 35-Year Curse, Dominates Chris Eubank Jr. at Spurs
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
