In boxing, sequels often happen for a few reasons: the first fight was so great that fans demanded a second slice, the first fight was controversial, thus the rivalry remained unsettled, the first fight pulled in one humongous pile of cash.
Eubank vs. Benn 2: Will it Deliver?
In the case of the upcoming November rematch between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, it could be argued that it’s happening because the first fight ticked each of the above boxes. Certainly, the April battle between the two British sons of legends surpassed the anticipated levels of raw excitement, and it’s also true that the fight pulled in a monster amount of dough. As for the controversial aspect, maybe not, even if some fans did/do feel Benn was at least a little bit hard done by on the three scorecards.
Now, on November 15, the rematch will go down, and fans are again looking forward to a good fight. But will this sequel possibly top its predecessor? There is a school of thought that believes Eubank, after having dug ever so deep to win the April war, on points, might not have too much left to offer, so draining and costly was the effort the 35-year-old put in to best Benn. While these same people feel Benn, at age 28, can and will improve on his previous performance.
Trainer Tony Sims on Benn’s Plan
One man who says we can expect a different fight this time is Benn’s trainer Tony Sims. Sims, in speaking with The Ring, said we should brace ourselves for a “smarter fight” this time, this on the part of Benn in particular.
Benn will not go out so hell for leather this time, Sims said. And, as much as a more cerebral Benn approach could prove detrimental to Eubank, 35-3(25), the action may not be anything like as red-hot if Benn does use his brains more than his brawn and his willingness to slug.
It could be a chess-match type affair in the November sequel, somewhat as it was back in 1993, when Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Senior ran it back. It was, as older fans surely recall, a draw at the end of the original Eubank-Benn II. Could we get another tie when the two juniors go back to it in November?
“There are a few adjustments we’ve got to make,” Sims said with regards to Team-Benn getting the win this time. “He knows that. I think he had it in his head that he would knock Chris out. He truly believed that. I do believe Conor will be a lot smarter this time, so he knows what Chris is about. And I’m sure Chris will have found out a lot of things about Conor. They know neither one of them will go over easily. So I think the second fight will probably be a bit of a smarter fight.”
Eubank vs. Benn Rematch Predictions
Again, Benn and Eubank Mark One sure put their heads together in their return, with the result being a tense fight, a very much watchable fight, but nothing like as great, as sensational, or as punishing a fight. It is so often the case that the rematch of a great fight proves to be something of a let-down, even if the return is no dud.
Look for Benn, 23-1(14) to reign it in in the rematch, or at least try to do so. But whether or not this gets him the win this time….well, we’ll all be tuning in to find out, won’t we?
Benn to get his revenge over Eubank in November, with the rubber match being so very nicely set up?