It was so good the first time, they simply had to do it again.
Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will collide again on Nov. 15 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a highly anticipated rematch. Eubank Jr. was the victor back in April, beating Benn on points in a thrilling, emotional fight. Plenty was said and done in the build up to the initial bout — this time around however it has been notably more calm.
We can’t expect it to stay that way when the fighters touch gloves again though, with simply too much on the line by the way of pride. There is, as the fight has been tagged, too much unfinished business.
ESPN UK’s boxing insiders will be in attendance this Saturday and are here to discuss the keys to the sequel and make predictions.
So, we’re back again. The first fight was pure box office, pure adrenaline from both fighters. Can we expect similar here or a different fight?
James Regan: There is nothing really to indicate this fight will be something other than another brawl again. If anything, it will be even more so. Eubank will try to impose his size and box smart, as he did in the first fight, while Benn has talked about fighting with “less emotion.” But when the bell goes, that could go out the window.
Nick Parkinson: Expect a closer fight this time around, whether it ends in stoppage or on points. Eubank deservedly won by four rounds on all three scorecards in their previous encounter and it is up to Benn to adjust if he wants to avoid another repeat of being contained by Eubank’s experience and ringcraft. Benn will bring the same desire and ferocity as he showed in the first fight, but his strategy needs to be cuter this time. He convincingly won Round 3 seven months ago, the only round he won on all three official scorecards, and his team will look at how to repeat that more consistently on Saturday.
If Benn can sustain his pressure, he will prevent Eubank from planting his feet to land heavy shots and unload his classy combinations. If it is closer by the second half of the fight, or if Benn feels he is behind, we may see him take more risks this time around, which will likely produce knockdowns we did not have in April.
Any keys you see for the fight, where do you think it will be won and lost?
Regan: Judging by the aftermath of the last fight, Benn should look to be as physical as possible with Eubank. If he is tight on the weight and dehydrated, how can Benn wear him out? That’s where channeling his emotion and boxing smarter will come into play. For Eubank, he knows Benn will come out firing again (even if it’s toned down, but that’s his style) so it’s about using his experience and boxing IQ to avoid as much damage as possible.
Parkinson: Benn’s stamina and movement will be crucial if he can outwork Eubank and build up a points lead in the first half of the fight. Benn needs to show a higher level of intensity and land a greater volume of punches to unsettle Eubank. What will help Benn’s cause is if Eubank struggles to make the weight and comes in weight-drained.
Eubank claimed it was a problem seven months ago, leaving him hospitalised after the fight with dehydration. If the 160-pound limit is difficult again for the 36-year-old, he will fade in the later rounds, allowing Benn’s cardio to see him come into the ascendency. But Eubank is technically and tactically better, and along with the size advantage, it gives him the edge. Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, coach of ESPN’s pound-for-pound No. 1 Terence Crawford, is in Eubank’s corner this time around and that tactical guidance could be crucial if Benn’s pace earns him most of the early rounds.
Benn lost last time out so the pressure is on him here. What adjustments from the first fight should he make?
Regan: He can’t rush in from Round 1 and try to keep that up, especially if he’s missing the volume of shots he did last time. He looked for a big right hand early on and lost control. He’s entering his prime years as an athlete, if he can keep his speed but be more accurate, attacking the body a lot more and making Eubank think, he should see better results.
Parkinson: He needs to be better in the early rounds, or he faces defeat again. Eubank can start slow and was even stopped in Round 4 by Liam Smith in January 2023, so if Benn builds up a lead early on it will put the pressure on his English rival. But Benn didn’t do it last time, losing five of the first seven rounds. Benn needs to increase his punch output after Eubank landed 367 to 215 punches last time, according to CompuBox statistics. If Benn can keep a high tempo with a disciplined attack, he will restrict the number of punches Eubank throws. Benn is good at being explosive with his counter punches, and that could force a valuable knockdown.
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The rehydration clause is a point of controversy, concern even. Are you surprised it’s there for this fight?
Regan: No. It was in the contract. Everyone knew what they were signing up for, and Eubank never asked, at least to Matchroom’s knowledge, to change it. Is it ideal? No. Is it dangerous? Potentially. But everyone knows the rules and just as Benn won’t want to give any more weight, Eubank is too proud to ask for an easier way out.
Parkinson: There needs to be a limit to how much weight can be put on between Friday’s weigh-in and fight night since Benn has already courageously stepped up two weight divisions to face Eubank. Neither boxer can put on more than 10lb between Friday’s weigh-in and Saturday morning, which is reasonable to prevent a large difference in size between the rivals on fight night, as that would not only be a disadvantage but potentially dangerous for Benn.
Equally, you hope that Eubank is not putting himself at risk by agreeing to the rehydration clause. But if Eubank seriously thought he could not make the middleweight limit more comfortably this time, he would not have agreed to the rematch and its rehydration clause. Eubank, who has campaigned at middleweight or super middleweight throughout his career, says he has adjusted to making weight this time around and won’t be paying out another fine (he paid £350,000 after he missed the weight by 0.05lb for the first fight but was on weight on fight day).
That confidence suggests he miscalculated cutting weight last time around, rather than it being an insurmountable task. Given his post-fight experience of being admitted to hospital with dehydration following their last fight, it would be a surprise and a defining moment in the outcome of the rematch if Eubank missed weight again.
Finally, make your predictions. Who wins and how?
Regan: I do think it will be closer, but Eubank’s experience should shine through again. Don’t underestimate the impact of Brian McIntyre either. ‘BoMac’ will have given Eubank a few tips and tricks that will make a difference. Expect Benn to have more success, but Eubank on points again.
Parkinson: Logic says the bigger Eubank — especially after his disciplined control of Benn in the first fight, which I believe he deservedly won by a margin of four rounds — will prevail again. But Benn will be better this time, and Eubank may need to survive a crisis to triumph. Equally, Benn may leave himself open if he feels he needs to chase a KO late on. If Eubank makes weight without it diminishing him, he wins on points or by late stoppage.
