Beyond The Ropes: Eubank vs. Benn

Beyond The Ropes: Eubank vs. Benn

The original Eubank Benn rivalry was organic. They had mutual chemistry. Any great duo needs that. It was a natural feud that didn’t need too much of the fake promotional razzmatazz. It didn’t need to be forced. Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn gave us two iconic nights in the nineties. Fights for the ages. Historic occasions in Birmingham and Manchester three years apart that have stood the test of time. Their intense rivalry also. Eubank stopped Benn in 1990 to win the WBO middleweight title. Many thought Benn was denied a rightful victory three years later. Honours were shared at Old Trafford. Unfinished business. A third fight between the polar opposites seemed a natural. It never happened. In many ways, a feud that didn’t seem to end.

The earlier incarnation of the family feud was about as real as it got. It cut deep. It was personal. It probably went even beyond that. But with one eye on nostalgia and the other on the dollar, there is another chapter about to arrive that has been over two years in the making.

Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn are in full promotional mode once again. Some might say their recent attempts at selling the fight belong in the WWE. I’d argue that the recent cringy nose-to-nose pantomime histrionics from both Eubank and Benn would have a place in WCW. You know, the poorer imitation of professional wrestling before the Monday Night Wars was a thing.

It should already have happened. We all know what happened two years ago. A Daily Mail article in the heart of Fight Week exposed many things. Begrudgingly, the fight was pulled. Even though an extremely large dose of smoke and mirrors was in full play in an extremely ill-judged attempt to try and salvage the fight. Very few read the room. Money talks. But some should just listen.

Born rivals or one that is artificially manufactured? Somewhere along the way, the lines have most certainly been blurred. Who really is fooling who? The sons undoubtedly have a rivalry of sorts. It’s not what their respective fathers had. A far lesser version. Albeit one that will probably do more business. Despite everything, it has something that sells. Last time, it sold out an arena. This time, it will sell out a stadium.

Benn just needs a boxing licence to join the dots. It seems to be a mere formality, despite a lack of real detail on the elephant in the room. But not for the first time, we are assured a resolution is imminent.

The never-ending media outlets desperately need Eddie Hearn to perform when the record button is pressed. And perform he does. But Hearn has reserved some of his greatest performances in defiant defence of his fighter Conor Benn.

The two years since the fight was cancelled late in fight week when the first bell was so near to being chimed, has seen Hearn in full flow when a camera is pushed in his face and Conor Benn is mentioned. His belief in Benn has never wavered. Even when a softer, more balanced tone would have served all parties better.

In recent times, a few more influential media personalities have also joined in the fun. A lack of understanding of many things didn’t help their attempt at forcing a narrative that didn’t quite fit the facts. Cheerleading journalism at its finest. Soft questions. Easy access. For two years, we have seen the attempted manipulation of the all too willing media. Most have played along with clicks and continued access at the forefront of their minds. To their credit, others with credibility in mind haven’t. One media member, in particular, was asked by Hearn why he was trying to be a hero. He wasn’t. He was just doing his job. But because he was trying to poke a little deeper, you could see it wasn’t appreciated. Or welcomed. It was an awkward and uncomfortable exchange that said plenty.

There have been mistakes on all sides. The whole sorry mess has dragged on for far too long. But two years on, we still don’t know if Conor Benn cheated or not. How can that be right? Benn has always protested his innocence. Hopefully, in the coming days and weeks, we will finally get the answers we so desperately need. If Benn, who has always vigorously denied he is a drug cheat, is eventually cleared of doping, then he should have all our sympathies. Even if Benn has made having sympathy for his plight extremely difficult at times. Although for balance, Benn could just be a confused, frustrated, and angry fighter who has seen virtually two years of his career wiped away for something he hasn’t done. Time will tell on many things.

It’s not the typical good guy vs. heel storyline. Some will see it as a villain-against-villain affair. Two marmite characters of the highest order. Will more come to watch to see one guy lose rather than any real desire to see one of them win? Either way, they will come. In a business sense, that’s all that matters. Phil Martin once said: “Boxing is all about the money.” He wasn’t wrong.

It is a curious case for sure why the potential blockbuster of a fight has got such a hook on the paying public. A fight that will undoubtedly cross over into the mainstream. Neither fighter is anywhere near as good as their respective fathers. They don’t even come close in truth. They are probably not even as good as they think they are. But some fights just have it. This one has it in abundance. Even if it turns the stomach of those who still care about the credibility of their sport.

Their respective accomplishments are limited. Of the two, Eubank has achieved far more. But he has lost every time he has stepped up to elite world level. Eubank now has the look of a faded fighter. A fragile veteran who could be at the cashing-out phase of his career. At 35, he only has a handful of fights left. Arguably, one more defeat will bring down the final curtain of a career that has largely flattered to deceive. Although a defeat to Benn would probably spawn another incredibly lucrative sequel.

Benn brings a certain reputation to the table. A fighter more known for a couple of failed drug tests and his surname rather than anything he has done inside a boxing ring. His resume is unflattering despite attempts to jazz it up into something it plainly isn’t. The better wins on his record, albeit against fighters in semi-retirement, are still somewhat clouded in suspicion by many. Those two failed tests have done that. Of course, all that suspicion might be incredibly misplaced. But two years on, nobody has yet found what they are looking for. Especially Conor Benn and his ever-loyal promoter. Benn will hope that the cloud is lifted sooner rather than later. In truth, we all do. We have to remember that Benn could be a victim in all of this. He hasn’t yet been found guilty of anything. And he might never be. Innocent until proven guilty remember.

Eubank and Benn will almost certainly finally get to share a ring together at some point in 2025. It is seemingly inevitable. When money is involved, boxing always finds a way. In some shape or form, the last lingering obstacle will be removed before too long. Hopefully, clarity on many things will come with any announcement. All the unanswered questions need a simplistic resolution. An unsavoury and toxic episode that needs a definitive ending.

It is admittedly a monster of a fight. Many will not care how we got there. They should. Sometimes, no matter how big the fight, other things are far more important. In many ways, we need closure.

Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing