With Chris Eubank Jr scheduled to face Conor Benn some 30 years after his parents did on the British stage, both fighters sat down for a one-on-one discussion about their Oct. 8 bout. Yesterday, Matchroom released their full video feature of the meeting between Eubank Jr and Benn and I’ll highlight some of what happened with excerpts below.
Conor Benn on why he picked a fight with Chris Eubank Jr despite campaigning a couple of divisions below him
“It is the right time to make this fight. This is bigger than money. This is legacy, this is inheritance. Here is history. Nationally, it doesn’t get any bigger than this. You know, I’d say it’s one of the biggest fights of the decade.”
Chris Eubank Jr on his interest in taking this fight against Benn
“It is innovative. It will never happen again, and it has never happened before. That excites me. Let’s make history. Two legends captured the imagination of a nation, they became superstars 30 years ago and their children now step into the ring and people call it a trilogy: it’s the stuff of legend, it’s the stuff of fantasy. There is nothing bigger than that.”
Eubank on whether he thinks Benn has bitten off more than he can chew by taking this fight
“Oh yeah. That’s a great question, but he’s got big balls. I respect that about him. It makes sense from a business perspective, but not from a capability perspective. Obviously he’s going to tell you something different. You don’t know until the bell rings.” ”.
Benn on Eubank not believing he has the ability to compete with him
“That is your opinion. It is completely irrelevant. He is going to say that. They pay me, I have many paydays. Look at his trajectory and look at mine, he says enough ”.
Eubank on whether he really questions Benn’s boxing ability
“Is that really a question? There are levels in the game. He has never done anything like this before. I have done this for years. He doesn’t know what it feels like to walk into the fire in front of 20,000 people, he hasn’t done it yet.”
Eubank on underestimating what Benn has to offer in the ring
“I can’t help but underestimate him. He hasn’t been in there with any dangerous fighters. He has a promising future in his weight class, but you can’t put someone like Conor on me and expect him to win. It is physically impossible. You have the fire, you have the spirit like your old man, that won’t be enough.”
Eubank on believing he only needs to be 60% to beat Benn
“Usually I go eight weeks without sex, I abstain for eight weeks. Week after week, the more you retain, you know, the testosterone increases… I’ll take two weeks off for you. Canelo, Golovkin, they’re eight weeks old. Saunders gets four weeks, Conor Benn gets two. Jake Paul will be a week old, so you’re not the bottom of the barrel, but you’re close.”
