Hate runs deep, they say
Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn’s confrontation before the weigh-in of Eubank’s fight against Kamil Szeremeta clearly showed there is still no love lost between the pair.
This long-standing family feud, spanning over 30 years, has always captivated the public’s imagination. However, does it still harbour the same level of animosity as it did back when their fathers were fighting?
The rivalry was born in 1990 when the eccentric showman, Chris Eubank Sr and the no-nonsense, former Royal Fusiliers Nigel Benn, signed the contract for their first fight, live on ITV.
The hatred was evident as Eubank, without even looking at Benn during the entire interview, said, “All this man has is a puncher’s chance,” provoking the pugilist known as the ‘Dark Destroyer.’
In his unique, flamboyant style, Eubank responded to Benn’s irritation by delivering the iconic line, “Let’s have some parliamentary procedure here.” The tension and stark contrast in personality between the two fighters captivated the public from the beginning.
At the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, on November 8, 1990, the two rivals met in a highly anticipated showdown. Eubank impressively withstood all of Benn’s fierce shots, biting his tongue so severely in the fourth round after a ferocious right uppercut from Benn that he swallowed copious amounts of blood for the rest of the fight. However, Eubank ultimately stopped his rival in the ninth round to claim the WBO world middleweight championship in what referee Richard Steele described as, “the most dramatic fight I’ve ever refereed.”
The arch-rivals did not meet again for three years. During this time, both moved up to the super-middleweight division and won their respective world titles. Benn went on an impressive 10-fight winning streak. Meanwhile, Eubank notably fought Michael Watson twice, with the second fight resulting in Eubank knocking Watson out in the 11th round. This led to Watson spending 40 days in a coma and undergoing six brain surgeries, causing permanent damage.
In front of 42,000 people at Old Trafford on October 9, 1993, the famous rivalry was reignited. Half a billion people worldwide watched the fight, labelled ‘Judgement Day, illustrating the immense public interest in the event.
The fight was less intense than the first; it was more technical, and neither fighter was ever particularly hurt. However, the final round was one of the best ever seen in a British boxing ring. The contest ended in a split decision draw, and the pair never fought again, much to Benn’s displeasure as he felt aggrieved by the result.
30 years later, the sons of the great rivalry were scheduled to meet at an agreed catchweight clash in October 2022, a fight once thought of as a fantasy. Unlike their fathers, there was very little talk about any potential meeting in their respective careers.
Prior to the fight, much of the discussion revolved around the agreed weight. Eubank Sr voiced significant concern about his son having to cut down to 157 lbs, considering he had fought as a middleweight and super-middleweight throughout his career. Despite this, much like his father, Chris Eubank Jr is a showman, and he embraced the challenge. He taunted Conor Benn on social media by saying that the weight limit would only allow him to fight up to 60 per cent of his ability, but that would still be enough to beat him.
Despite the anticipation, the fight never took place because Conor Benn failed two performance-enhancing drug tests. He tested positive for the female fertility drug, clomifene.
Assuming that there is a resolution to Benn’s legal disputes soon, the question remains as to whether this generation can live up to the rivalry of their fathers.
Neither Conor nor Chris has ever won a world title, therefore it would be difficult to argue that the fight would be held at a higher level. Moreover, is there genuine hatred like there was 30 years ago? There seems to be from Benn’s side, but Eubank’s intentions could be questioned as on many occasions he has asked for the money to be shown to him.
It also needs to be taken into account that Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn were 24 and 26 years old respectively when they fought for the first time. At 35 years old now, Eubank Jr may not have enough in him for this rivalry to be reignited.
We live in a different world than the one in which this rivalry was born. Could the new digital age bring more attention to the fight than there was for their fathers? Their recent confrontation has already been viewed millions of times online, suggesting there is widespread interest in the fight. However, a lot would have to happen in the build-up for there to be any chance of the fight doing similar numbers to those of their fathers.
This family rivalry is one of the greatest in British boxing history. There was a deep hatred between Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, but it is unclear if the same animosity exists between their sons, as their last exchange seemed somewhat contrived and unimaginative, yet it still spread across socials with speed and zeal.
Over the next few months, it will become clearer whether we will see a fight between Eubank Jr and Conor Benn – a matchup that many of us never thought would happen.
The only way the renewed rivalry could ever come close to their fathers’ conflicts is if the fight itself becomes a modern classic. The build-up would be fierce, dramatic and entertaining, but if the juniors can put on a British battle to last the ages, a back and forth 12-round war where they leave it all in the ring and represent their respective families to the fullest, then and only then could they live up to famous Benn-Eubank legacy.