Thread: Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn

Chris Eubank Jr will fight Conor Benn in their long-awaited showdown in April in London, according to Saudi boxing organiser Turki Alalshikh.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a possible venue for the all-British fight which could take place on 26 April.

The bitter rivals were scheduled to meet in October 2022, which would have been 29 years after their revered fathers Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr fought for a second time.

However, the contest was called off after Conor Benn failed a voluntary drug test, which sparked a two-year battle with anti-doping authorities that culminated in his suspension being lifted last November.

Benn has posted a picture of himself signing a contract alongside his promoter Eddie Hearn and Alalshikh, who has organised some of the biggest fights in recent years as chairman of Saudi Arabia's general entertainment authority.

Posting the same picture, Hearn wrote: "The biggest fight in British boxing has been made."

In a post on X on Wednesday, Alalshikh wrote: "Eubank Jr vs Benn done in April, London."

The 35-year-old will be the favourite against 28-year-old Benn, who steps up from the welterweight limit of 10st 7lb (147lb) for the bout.

Benn has not fought in the UK since 2022, but he competed twice in the United States during his provisional suspension.

The Briton has always denied intentionally doping and will again be subject to Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) testing for the Eubank bout.

Eubank, who usually fights at middleweight, has one loss in his last nine outings but avenged that 2023 defeat to Liam Smith later that year.

Benn has not fought at an elite level but has an unbeaten record of 23 wins with 14 knockouts.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/a...s/cvge4e7l53vo

Why is Turki bothering with these turkeys ?

It's not a fight of any substance, it's one for the casuals. It's a novelty money fight and shows how they both view their careers. Eubank should be fighting Hamza Sheeraz....if he wanted a serious domestic scrap. Benn should be calling out Adam Azim, Lewis Crocker or Josh Kelly...if he wanted a serious domestic scrap.

But I'll still watch it.

I'm glad they're finally fighting so that once it's done we won't have to read endless will they/won't they stories as it's been one of the most boring, longest running 'feuds' in recent memory. I wasn't especially interested in the fight the first time around before the cancellation and it seems like the promoters are more excited about it than the fans about the fight no one wanted.

Alalshikh also confirmed some of the bouts on the undercard, including British light-heavyweight rivals Anthony Yarde and Lyndon Arthur completing their trilogy.

Arthur won the first meeting in 2020 with Yarde gaining revenge in 2021.

Bournemouth's Chris Billam-Smith faces American Brandon Glanton in his first contest since losing his WBO cruiserweight world title in a unification fight against WBA champion Gilberto Ramirez.

Former WBO light-middleweight champion Liam Smith, who has not fought since losing to Eubank in September 2023, takes on Ireland's Aaron McKenna, while British cruiserweights Viddal Riley and Cheavon Clarke will square off.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/a...s/c1m5zr08zdko