Chris Eubank Junior and Conor Benn (or is it the other way around in your mind – who is the A-side here?) came together at a press conference to further hype their October 8 clash. And both men had plenty to say, as you can imagine. One of the big talking points today was the weight the fight will be fought at.
As fans know, the two will box at an agreed weight of 157 pounds, and Eubank Jr said it will “be very painful” to make the weight, one he has not been at “since I was a teenager.” Eubank added how he will be “60 percent on the night,” but that this will allow him to “do whatever I want with you.”
Going further, Eubank said that if he was at 100 percent on the night it would be a “public execution.” Benn laughed at this remark, adding how Eubank’s ego will “be his downfall.”
“I’m going to be his fatherly figure in the lead-up to this fight, and on the night,” Eubank Jr said. “I’m going to take you to school, I’m gonna walk you through the doors, I’m gonna sit you down in class and I’m going to stick on you every lesson you need to learn. My advice to Conor is, get sparring partners who are really going to hurt you for the next eight weeks, because October 8th, the pain you’re going to experience……if you don’t get your arse kicked in the gym, then it’s just gonna be too much of a shock to your system when I put it on you in the night.”
Benn, who wore shades throughout, shot back, “You’ve said what you have to say. No-one’s asking for your advice. All what you’ve said is your ego, that’s it – your name being first when everyone knows it’s Benn-Eubank, coming into the ring first, and all the other b*****s.”
The history between the Eubanks and the Benns then came up. As fans know, Eubank Snr defeated Benn in 1990, with the two boxing a return three years later, with the bout being declared a draw. Eubank Jr says he will see to it that the Eubank names “stays on top.”
“I have to make sure that the Eubank name stays on top of the Benn name,” Eubank Jr said. “I’m not letting the Benn name even the score.”
“It’s not that deep, really. [My] dad got a draw in the rematch; everyone knows he won. I’m just gonna get in there and handle business. I’ll settle the score. If he thinks he can beat me at 60 percent, that’s his problem. He needs quality sparring, that’s what he needs. He needs to focus. I keep hearing excuses. I’m ready now. I’m gonna give you a good beating, I don’t want any excuses.”
Eubank says he may have his father in his corner for this fight, not Roy Jones. Interestingly, neither Eubank nor Benn had their father with them at today’s presser. The heat is on for this one and the hype train can be expected to keep going over the next eight weeks.
To repeat, who wins this one??
