Chris Eubank Jr. says he wants to make Conor Benn “pay” in their fight this Saturday for attempting to face him while on PEDs three years ago. Eubank Jr. (34-3, 25 KOs) can’t forget, and he’s going to take it out on Conor (23-0, 14 KOs) in their 12-round headliner, live on DAZN PPV at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
The Cheating Factor
Chris Jr. notes that normally, when a fighter tests positive for a PED while scheduled for a fight, those two rarely reschedule. In this case, it’s happening because of the money involved. Euabnk Jr. wasn’t going to turn down the massive payday
“This is the type of fight where what’s next is irrelevant. It hasn’t even come into my mind. This fight is so huge that to think about anything but what’s in front of me would be irresponsible,” said Chris Eubank Jr. to Men’s Health UK when asked what his plans are after his fight with Conor Benn on Saturday.
What’s next is a rematch with Benn. The two have a contractual rematch, which will pay them both a huge amount of money. When the smoke clears from the second fight, the winner is expected to challenge unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez in 2026. It’s the perfect situation for whoever emerges victorious from the second Eubank Jr-Benn fight. The loser will still be rich, so it’s not the end of the world.
“Yes,” said Eubank Jr. on whether he would be interested in a rematch with Benn, win or lose. “I think a rematch is in the contracts we signed. With a fight of this magnitude, if people want to see it again, who am I to say no. Me and Conor have a genuine dislike. He’s done things, said things that I can never forgive.”
You can see why Eubank Jr. would have a dislike for Benn. He tested positive for a PED, and he thinks he was going to use the extra strength or stamina from the substance to try to hurt him in their fight in 2022. Benn hates Eubank Jr. because he’s criticized him in public for his positive PED test, and not let him or the fans forget what happened.
Benn Must Pay
“The fact that he was caught cheating two and a half years ago before our first fight, that is something I’m never going to be able to get over,” said Eubank Jr. “So, when with someone who was cheating and had drugs in their system and was going to fight me [Conor Benn], I can’t describe the feelings it garnered, the anger. I have to make this guy pay for what he did.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this, and now that I’m in it, I always try to keep my emotions out of boxing, but it’s impossible for this particular fight,” said Eubank Jr.
