The Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn kickoff press conference was expected to provide fireworks, but few could’ve anticipated what actually took place on Tuesday afternoon in Manchester.
The first faceoff between the longtime rivals descended into chaos after Eubank reached into his pocket for an egg and cracked it on Benn’s face with a powerful left-handed slap.
Pieces from the cracked egg flew everywhere around the pair and security guards were forced to separate Benn and his father, Nigel Benn, from Eubank after a melee kicked off on-stage.
Eubank (34-3, 25 KOs) smashing the egg on Benn’s face ignited an all-out brawl. Nigel Benn immediately darted over to Eubank’s side and put his hands around Eubank’s throat. Even Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, who promotes Benn (23-0, 14 KOs), shoved Eubank’s promoter, Ben Shalom of BOXXER.
The pair are scheduled to meet again for their second press conference on Thursday in London ahead of their April 26 all-British clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Matchroom’s Hearn said Benn will attack Eubank “on sight” after Tuesday’s events. Benn afterward wrote in a furious social media post that the egg-slap will be “the only shot” Eubank lands and vowed to knock out his countryman in two rounds.
Tuesday’s kickoff press conference in Manchester had already been a lively affair prior to the faceoff, with Eubank focusing many of his verbal attacks on Benn’s promoter, Hearn.
As soon as Hearn began to give his introductory speech, Eubank interrupted him to remind him how much he disliked the British promoter and refused to let Hearn speak.
“So if you know that [I don’t like you],” Eubank began, “what on God’s sweet green earth makes you think I’m going to sit here and listen to any of the bollocks that you have to say about this fight?
“We’re gonna have parliamentary procedure here today, and we’re going to skip past whatever bulls*** you thought you were going to talk about, and we’re going to continue on with the press conference.”
Hearn didn’t take too kindly to Eubank’s outburst, turning to ask Benn: “How [are] we feeling about smashing this geezer to pieces [on] April 26?”
“You know what? Listen, Chris can say what he wants,” Benn said. “The bottom line is his dad [legendary British boxer Chris Eubank Sr.] doesn’t even like him. You could not pay that man enough money to sit in [Eubank’s] corner. Now that’s an accomplishment, Chris. Well done. The most unlikeable geezer on the planet, even your dad don’t like you. S*** mad, drop the mic.”
Several parties involved with the bout hoped to have Chris Eubank Sr. at Tuesday’s launch press conference, however Eubank Sr. has been against Eubank Jr. and Benn fighting since the matchup was first made in 2022, and refuses to be involved in the promotion. Eubank Sr. stated in the past that he believes the second-generation clash is a money-grab, and that both boxers should be fighting top for world titles in their respective weight classes instead.
Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn had two historic fights in the 1990s that captivated the attention of the British public. In 1990, Eubank Sr. stopped Benn to win the WBO middleweight title in a fight still widely considered to be one of the best in British boxing history. Three years later, 16.5 million people in Britain watched the pair fight to a draw at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United.
Their sons, Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn, were set to reignite the rivalry in 2022, but the much-anticipated bout was canceled at the last minute after Benn’s positive test for Clomifene was revealed on fight week. The WBC eventually cleared Benn from wrongdoing, blaming the adverse findings on an “elevated consumption of eggs,” hence why Eubank Jr. smashed an egg on Benn at Tuesday’s faceoff.
Benn vowed to knock Eubank Jr. out within six rounds when the duo finally fight.
“I just can’t take him seriously, that’s all,” Benn explained. “Just look at his career. Every time he’s stepped up, he’s failed. Yeah, you faced better opposition, well done. But this is the end of your career, this is the end, this is it for you, [while] I’m 28 [years old]. You choose to fight a welterweight over Sheeraz, over Janibek, over Adames, over anybody with a world title.”
“Conor, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Eubank said. “How many eggs did you have to eat to fail those two drug tests, you dirty [cheat]?”
“The reality is I’ve been cleared three times by the NADP, by the WBC, by UKAD — by the way, people [who] are a lot smarter than you,” Benn responded. “Number one, I’ve been cleared; two, you will never be cleared of being a wanker.”
To further inflame the rivalry between Eubank and Benn, which is already deeply personal and intense, a carrot has been dangled in front of the two fighters. Turki Alalshikh, who’s staging the April 26 fight, revealed that he’s planning for the winner to face boxing’s biggest star, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, in 2026.
“Whoever is the winner, we are working in the future to have him fight against Canelo,” Alalshikh told Sky Sports on Tuesday morning.
