Ick the cliche, whether you prefer like father, like son, or maybe the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. This matchup pitting son against son in some form or fashion reigniting the legendary scrap between Chris Eubank Jr and Nigel Benn.
It’s a rare occurrence for a high-level boxer or athlete in general to have an offspring who even comes close to matching the legacy laid out by the parent. With all due respect, in this case, neither son has lived up to their father’s. To be fair, neither son had an extended amateur career, especially Benn. Eubank did have a short yet successful run in the unpaid ranks fighting in America. He began in his late teens, turning pro in 2011.
This DAZN PPV is more about the hype and build-up than the true meaning of the matchup. The last names, verbal battles, and of course, Benn failing a drug test have more to do with any buzz this fight has received. Like it or not, the event is garnering real attention in the UK, and this boxing podcaster fully understands why they put it together. Money makes the world go round and is the main reason for these two to meet in the ring on Saturday. It’s been a long and winding path, but we are finally here. My interest level is low, but once the first bell rings, as a hardcore, I will be fully engaged. Although the main event isn’t great, the undercard bouts are full of equally matched scraps.
Both combatants’ activity levels since 2022 aren’t ideal. Benn has just two outings in that time, and both came up against subpar competition. That’s not to say Chris has faced a murder row by any means, fighting twice versus Liam Smith and Kamil Szeremeta last October. Benn fought Peter Dobson over a year ago and Rodolfo Orozco in September of 2023. Prior to his time out of the ring from a failed test, Benn had shown increasing speed and power, albeit taking out past their prime fighters in Chris Algieri and Chris Van Heerden. The past two opponents went the 10 and 12-round distance. Gone was that same power and speed we had seen.
Chris Eubank Jr got stopped by Liam Smith, although he did get his revenge 8 months later. Eubank has the experience in his favor, along with a better list of fresher foes on his ledger, win or lose. Weight could be an issue, but far too many boxing folks seem to think that pertains to Chris Eubank Jr because of the weight cut and rehydration clause of 10 pounds. That is a fair point, no doubt, but we can’t dismiss Conor Benn will be moving up at least a weight class on Saturday as well. That and Eubank just made the 160-pound limit and has 3 more pounds in the contract instead of 157 as it was in 2022.
Chris has a pretty good jab, some may call it an up-jab. The upper cut is his favorite punch to throw, and it can be somewhat potent. Eubank’s defense is mediocre at best, as he leaves his hands down to his waist far too long. His best defense may be using his feet to maneuver out of trouble rather than a fundamental guard. Upper body and head movement will play a part, but it has also gotten him hit plenty when relying on that too much. The size and weight will likely favor Eubank, leaving room for a possibility of rehydration taking a toll in the second half of the fight.
Conor Benn is more responsible on defense, has good hand speed, and a decent jab. His best punch is the right hand, but will it have the same pop or power at 160? It’s doubtful Benn will have the same speed or power, given that we saw a sizable decrease in those categories in his last two fights. Can Benn mimic the success Liam Smith had? We will find out in the ring in front of a lively crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Look for the action to take a few rounds to heat up at least from the Benn side. He has shown a good punch rate but will be careful given the higher weight. At some point, the leather will fly, and that’s when we will see who has the real advantage at 160.
My Official Prediction is Chris Eubank Jr by Majority Decision.
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Side Note: The undercard doesn’t have a must-see meaningful matchup, but it does feature close fights on paper. Billiam-Smith vs Glanton should be a banger. Also on the PPV card is Smith vs. McKenna, Riley vs. Clarke, and Yarde vs. Arthur.
Written by Chris Carlson, Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker, I-Heart Radio, Amazon Podcasts, Google Podcasts & More! Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio