Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr came head to head in Riyadh
Conor Benn gave his biggest rival Chris Eubank Jr a little shove when the pair crossed paths today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Eubank Jr fights Kamil Szeremeta tomorrow night, Saturday 12th, for the IBO World middleweight title, on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol undercard.
Surrounded by security and spectators, the two rivals with a genuine dislike for each other came head to head and traded verbal blows, with Benn angrily shouting his mouth off while Eubank Jr choose to remain calm by simply smiling at his aggressor instead.
Benn shouted just centimetres from Eubank’s face, “I’ll see you tomorrow night after the fight.
“I’ll give it to ya.
“You’re f***ing lucky you’re fighting tomorrow night.”
Benn then put his hands on Eubank’s chest and gave him a small push before security quashed anything further from happening.
Benn continued to vent, “I’ll f**k you up. Yeah, yeah, yeah, watch what happens.
“Dead boy walking, yeah.
“Yeah, you’re lucky.
“You’re lucky you’re fighting tomorrow night and I need your arse to win.
“I’ll give you a good arse-beating in front of 60,000.
“That’s what’s gonna happen.
“I’ll be there tomorrow, I’ll see you tomorrow night then.
“Arrogant pr**k.”
The whole exchange was very contrived, tedious, forced, unimaginative and unoriginal.
It appears the pair are looking to reignite their rivalry after their initial ring meeting, back in 2022, was cancelled due to Bann’s failed drug tests.
The ensuing controversy and subsequent ban from the BBBofC has seen the 28-year-old’s career stall so much that he has only fought twice in the last 30 months – once last year, once this year.
Eubank Jr has also only fought twice, but over an even longer timeframe, which was the back-to-back bouts last year, losing to Liam Smith in four rounds in January 2023, then exacting revenge eight months later with a 10th round stoppage win.
Benn still has ambitions to become a world champion, as does Eubank, but at the advanced age of 35, his time and opportunities are running out.
If he is able to capture the IBO belt this weekend, which he is favoured to do, then he will be in a good position to force unification fights with the other 160lbs champions, such as Carlos Adames, Erislandy Lara, but not IBF and WBO titlist Janibek Alimkhanuly straightaway, as he has been ordered to defend against Briton Hamzah Sheeraz.
Should Sheeraz succeed, he has been on a collision course with Chris all year and a battle between the two Brits could fill a stadium.
However, Benn vs Eubank is still the biggest fight and highest payday out there for both boxers.