Chris Eubank Jr faces Conor Benn in their eagerly-anticipated showdown on Saturday night and our boxing expert Chris Oliver previews the card.
Boxing betting tips: Eubank Jr v Benn plus undercard
2pts Chris Eubank to win by stoppage at 6/4 (Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair, Betfred)
2pts Liam Smith to win at 11/8 (Sky Bet, Ladbrokes)
1pt Cheavon Clarke to win at 13/8 (Star Sports, 888Sport)
Two and a half years after they were first scheduled to meet, Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn finally get it on and continue the family feud this weekend.
It's nearly 35 years since their fathers began arguably the most famous rivalry in British boxing when Chris Eubank Snr stopped Nigel Benn in one of the best fights on these shores, before they famously fought to a draw at Old Trafford three years later. Nothing sells like nostalgia and it's fair to say there is no way a fight between the two sons, who compete two weights apart, would be happening if it wasn't for their respective surnames.
Considering neither man has won a world title, and no belt is on the line here, it is hard to believe just how big this fight has become, and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be packed to the rafters on Saturday night.
However, the fact it is going ahead after all that has happened over the last 30 months leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Just days before they were due to square off on 8 October 2022, it emerged Benn had failed to two drugs tests for clomiphene and the fight was scrapped. Then, we found out those two tests happened several weeks earlier and still the promotors, Eddie Hearn and Kalle Sauerland, tried to press ahead with the contest.
Eubank Jr v Benn: Big fight details and TV coverage
- When and where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Saturday April 26
- Start time: Undercard approx 5.20pm BST, Main Event approx 2150 BST
- TV channel and cost: DAZN PPV at a price of £19.95 (Radio commentary on Talksport)
- Sky Bet odds: Eubank Jr 4/7, Benn 6/4
CLICK HERE to bet on the big fight with Sky Bet
A very messy and drawn-out appeal to his ban followed from Benn and, after two outings in the US under a difference licence, he has now been cleared by the British Boxing Board of Control. However, we still haven't been told why he has been cleared and how clomiphene got into his system, so he remains far from cleared in the eyes of the fans.
Still, it is happening whether we like it or not, so we might as well try and make some money out of it.
Unsurprisingly given his physical advantages, Eubank has come in for plenty of support and is now a 4/7 favourite. He is three inches taller at 5'11", has a considerably longer reach and is the naturally bigger man in this middleweight contest. He has fought up at super middleweight several times but has also competed at middleweight in recent years.
Eubank (34-3) has also fought at a higher level and boasts a lot more experience. All three of the 35-year-old's defeat came against men who had won world titles, including when losing a decision to George Groves for the WBA super middleweight belt in February 2018, and he boasts the better victories, too.
He beat long-time middleweight champion Arthur Abraham (UD) and the then-unbeaten Avni Yildrim in 2017, while he easily outpointed a faded James DeGale two years later.
So, it is hard to go against Eubank on the formbook, but age has the potential to be the big leveller here. There have been signs that Father Time is catching up with him a little of late, not least when his once-granite chin was cracked by Liam Smith when the latter won by a fourth-round stoppage in their January 2023 battle. Eubank avenged (TKO10) that loss eight months later, but his punch output has dropped in recent outings and his attacks are more sporadic now.
Benn, who is a 2/1 chance, looks the fresher of two at 27 and arrives with an unbeaten record, albeit at a lower level than that Eubank is used to fighting at.
Having turned professional with very little amateur experience, Benn has done extremely well to get this far and that is down to his renowned worth ethic in the gym. Early struggles against the likes of Cedrick Peynaud, who dropped Benn heavily twice in the first round, suggested his ceiling wasn't very high. However, his improvement has been nothing short of remarkable and during an excellent 18-month period up to April 2022, he scored good points wins over Sebastian Formella and Adrian Granados, as well as blasting out Samual Vargas (TKO1), former world champion Chris Algieri (KO4) and Chris van Heerden (TKO2).
At his best, he is an offensive whirlwind - using his speed and athleticism to launch explosive attacks and fire off hurtful shots with both hands. However, he is a natural welterweight and even though he has weighed in north of 147lb for his last two starts, he is still taking a big step up in weight here and will be the smaller man in the ring.
It is also hard to escape how his new-found power seemed to desert him in those two outings in America. Neither Rodolfo Orozco nor Peter Dobson was considered a serious threat to Benn's unbeaten record and even though he hit them with everything but the kitchen sink, they never looked in danger of being stopped. It may be a coincidence, but both of those contests came after his adverse drugs test findings.
That all makes me question whether Benn is capable of halting Eubank, especially up at 160lb, and it is very hard to see him doing it on the scorecards. Benn by stoppage is a 5/2 shot and it appears he will need to do it early, as all 14 of his knockout victories came within the first four rounds.
So, I expect a fast start from the younger man, who will be aggressive from the get-go and look to utilise his speed to spring in with his attacks before sliding out of range again. For that reason, the opening sessions should be exciting, but Benn could be in trouble if he doesn't make a dent in Eubank during that period.
Therefore, it's likely we will see Eubank box on the back foot early on and aim to catch Benn coming in. The favourite is the more skilful of the two and he has the timing to negate Benn's speed, most notably with sharp hooks and textbook uppercuts. The latter is Eubank’s best shot and could work very well against his shorter opponent.
Once a hurtful combination puncher, Eubank tends to pick his shots more carefully now and his volume has certainly dropped. Benn needs to force his man to work when he doesn't want to and make him feel every bit of his 35 years.
There is a chance that Eubank looks very old all of a sudden but, on all known evidence, all the clues point towards him maintaining the upper hand in this family feud.
Admittedly, Smith was clearly hampered by an ankle injury when stopped by Eubank in their rematch, and the latter didn't really shine again Kamil Szeremeta (TKO7) last time out, but he did what he needed to do on both occasions. He has also been more active than Benn, who has only fought twice in the last three years.
As well as his physical and skill advantages, Eubank has also been on the big stage plenty of times before and we know he handles that well. Benn has never had a fight of anywhere near this magnitude and the whole experience is new for him.
I fancy Eubank will know enough to keep it long and stay out of harm's way in the dangerous early rounds, before opening up when Benn's attacks begin to slow down. Once he's being hit hard and often by a fully-fledged middleweight, Benn may not be able to last too much longer.
The agreement of a small, 18-foot ring also suggests there should be plenty of action and I fancy Eubank to emulate his father in 1990 by stopping Benn, which is available at 6/4.
CLICK HERE to back Eubank Jr to win by decision with Sky Bet
Eubank Jr v Benn: Undercard tips
If you're not a fan of the main event, there is a fantastic undercard to enjoy.
After losing his cruiserweight world title to Gilberto Ramirez in November, Chris Billam-Smith jumps straight into another tough fight with Brandon Glanton.
As well as their identical records of 20-2, these two both like to apply pressure on the front foot, and they certainly won't have to go looking for each other. It could well be the fight of the night, but it is a very tough one to call.
Anthony Yarde avenged his points defeat to Lyndon Arthur when stopping the Mancunian in four one-sided rounds in December 2021, so there may not be much need for them to have at third dance here, and I am much more interested in Aaron McKenna versus the aforementioned Liam Smith.
As I said earlier, Smith was clearly injured for his rematch with Eubank and his lack of mobility meant he presented a very static target for the latter to tee off on. However, his victory in their first fight was a career-best success and he gets the chance to prove he is not over the hill just yet against an unbeaten prospect.
McKenna has compiled a perfect 19-fight record and looked good in doing so, with 10 of those coming early. At 6'1", the Irishman is big for middleweight, but he doesn't fight 'tall' and likes to go to work on the inside. That should suit Smith down to the ground and the experienced veteran has drifted to a very tempting price of 11/8, with McKenna supported into 8/11.
Smith may be 36 now but he was in the form of his life prior to that defeat to Eubank and if you excuse him that performance because of his injury, then he makes plenty of appeal against a 25-year-old untested at this sort of level. The younger man will bring the volume, but Smith loves a tear-up on the inside and he may have a bit too much for the favourite here.
CLICK HERE to back Smith to win with Sky Bet
Cheavon Clarke defends his British cruiserweight belt against Viddal Riley in another intriguing match-up.
The challenger is the 8/13 favourite thanks to being unbeaten in 12 fights and he's a slick boxer who moves very well. However, this is definitely a notable step up for him and I'm not sure he will be able to keep the powerful Clarke at bay.
A former Olympian, Clarke stopped seven of his opening 10 victims before dropping a split decision to Leonardo Mosquea when challenging for the vacant European title in December. There was no shame in losing to an unbeaten opponent for that prestigious belt and Clarke showed great heart to come back into the fight, having been caught cold and dropped heavily in a torrid opening round.
I think Clarke will have learned an awful lot from that contest, and he looks too big at 13/8.
CLICK HERE to back Clarke to win by with Sky Bet
Eubank Jr vs Benn: Full fight card
Subject to change
- Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn
- Anthony Yarde v Lyndon Arthur 3
- Liam Smith v Aaron McKenna
- Viddal Riley v Cheavon Clarke
- Chris Billam-Smith v Brandon Glanton
Posted at 1510 BST on 25/04/25
Boxing: Related content
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