Eubank Jr versus Benn grudge fight 'almost a done deal' despite legal battle

27 November 2023 , 20:02

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Eubank Jr versus Benn grudge fight 'almost a done deal' despite legal battle

Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn are finally set to face-off in the ring.

Their initial bout was cancelled in October 2022 following Benn's two failed drugs tests. Due to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium around the weekend of Saturday, February 3, only minor details are preventing the fight from being announced to the public.

Expected to be finalised this week, the news comes amid an ongoing legal battle between Benn and the British Boxing Board of Control, having already been called out by Eubank Jr to rearrange the fight. Benn's promoters are said to have approached the Board with a request that they sanction the bout.

Currently, the Board and UK Anti-Doping are still pursuing an appeal against the decision taken in July by the independent National Anti-Doping Panel to lift the 27-year-old's temporary suspension which allowed him to make a low-key comeback in September, fighting in the United States.

If the Board weren't to sanction the fight, then the two parties could opt to proceed with a license from a different authority. It's added in a report from the Daily Mail that the details yet to be finalised are on Eubank Jr's side.

Conor Benn vs Manny Pacquiao "being discussed" despite Brit's drug test failures

Promoters hope that the bout will take place between Tottenham's two Premier League home matches on January 30 and February 10. The stadium has previously hosted Anthony Joshua's first defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021 before Tyson Fury's victorious third encounter with Dereck Chisora also took place there last December.

Spurs would make it three fights by staging Eubank Jr and Benn's long-awaited clash. After their meeting was called off with just two days to go last October, Eubank Jr went on to fight Liam Smith in January of this year and then September.

Get involved! Who'd win - Chris Eubank Jr or Conor Benn? Let us know your prediction in the comments section.

Chris Eubank Jr called Conor Benn out after his 10th-round victory over Liam Smith in September (Getty Images)

After winning the latter, the 34-year-old got revenge on his rival, who doesn't rate Eubank Jr's chances ahead of the bout with Benn. "I don't think he stops Conor but I think he should be too big for him size-wise," Smith told iFL TV.

"You can't judge Chris off the last fight with myself. People are saying that was a career-best performance from Chris, but I'm telling you now, don't judge Chris off that."

"Seeing what I've done to Chris will give Conor a lot more confidence. The fight is a little bit more interesting than I thought it was the first time the fight was made but I still think Eubank will be too big. Benn can make 147, he's not a 160."

Nathan Ridley