Chris Eubank Jr sparked an irate reaction from Conor Benn on Thursday, after threatening his rival’s father, Nigel Benn.
Thursday brought the week’s second press conference for Eubank Jr vs Benn, the grudge match which is due on 26 April, after Tuesday’s opening press conference ended in chaos.
Tuesday’s event culminated in Eubank Jr slapping Benn in the face with an egg, referencing the latter’s drug-test saga, which derailed the Britons’ planned bout in 2022 and saw Benn banned from boxing on home soil until recently; in 2023, the WBC said “elevated consumption of eggs” was a “reasonable explanation” for Benn’s adverse findings.
And amid Tuesday’s chaos, after Eubank Jr slapped the younger Benn with an egg, Nigel grabbed Eubank Jr by the neck.
On Thursday, Nigel apologised to Eubank Jr: “I didn’t know, I actually thought you glassed him, mate. I almost got my hands around your throat.”
Eubank Jr replied: “You did put your hands around my neck. I’m giving you a pass, but I’m just letting you know, if your hand ever touches me again, you won’t get it back.”
An incensed Conor Benn hit back, “Shut your f***ing mouth,” but his father interrupted: “Con, mate, leave it. I can handle this. I understand, [Chris], and I apologise for doing that, mate. You put your hands on my son.”
“Yeah, because we’re fighters,” came Eubank Jr’s blunt reply.
Eubank Jr and Benn are due to clash more than 30 years after their fathers last fought. In 1990, Chris Sr beat Nigel, before they fought to a draw in 1993. While Nigel is expected to be in Conor’s corner on 26 April, Chris Sr is not likely to feature.
Eubank Jr and Sr have had a strained relationship in recent years, with Jr saying in October: “You know what? For a long time, I tried to kind of act like it was cool. People would ask me, ‘How’s your dad?’ ‘Yeah, we’re good.’ But I got sick of that s***, man. It’s bulls***. We’re not cool, we’re not okay, and people need to know.
“I would love for him to be involved. The fact that I even have to say that is insane. How is that even a thing? His son is gonna fight the son of his arch-nemesis, [from] all those years ago when he was a world champion… How is it a thing that he may not be there? But it’s a thing.
“We don’t talk, he has shown no interest in my career for a long period of time now. He’s shown no interest in me in a long period of time. He’s gone through a lot over the last few years, and he’s still dealing with his demons. He thinks certain things aren’t right and should be a certain way and they’re not – and he’s not happy with it, and this is how he’s dealing with it: by not being in my life.”
In 2021, Eubank Jr’s brother Sebastian was found dead on a beach in Dubai aged 29. In 2023, Eubank Sr’s brother Simon died aged 63.
Eubank Jr continued: “As somebody who’s lost a son, I think that’s a pretty insane thing [for my dad] to be doing, an insane way to be acting – to kind of not be speaking to your remaining kids. But he’s his own man, he’s dealing with his situation how he thinks he should. All I can do is sit and wait and hope that he comes around at some point. But I can’t tell you if that will happen any time soon.”
When asked if he still reaches out to his father, Eubank Jr said: “Yeah, I message him every once in a while, don’t really hear much back. Sometimes it’ll be a one-word answer or an Instagram post, but there’s no real conversation there. It’s sad. But I’m my own man, and I’ve got massive things on my plate, in my path, that I have to complete and succeed in. So, I can’t let anything like that affect me spiritually, mentally, emotionally.
