Conor Benn (23-1, 14 KOs) is on a vengeance arc. Following a loss to Chris Eubank Jr (35-3, 25 KOs) in April, he is all set to reclaim his throne on Saturday. And he certainly has the support of his father, former two-division world champion Nigel Benn, who is certain that fans will get to witness “the real Connor” on fight night.
The older Benn seemed confident while talking to Fight Hub TV that the version of his son from the first fight was a mere shadow of his actual prowess as a fighter.
“We’re going to see the real Conor. That wasn’t the real Conor. If you watched him, you’ll know that he wasn’t throwing no short punches, no hooks or jabs. He was just winging them in. It looked like a barroom brawl,” he said.
Their first fight did not have a dramatic finish like both fighters had anticipated, with the fight going the 12-round distance. Benn started strong by dishing out significant punishment during the initial few rounds, leaving Eubank Jr. hurt. However, ‘Next Gen’ quickly turned the tide by attacking Benn like a sniper, landing calculated yet devastating blows. While Benn brought in a lot of raw power, he was outpunched in every round, with all the judges agreeing on a 116–112 scorecard in favour of Eubank.
Even though Benn called it a “close fight”, his father feels, to an almost concerning level, that his son wasn’t himself on fight night. With the second fight right around the corner, he is also certain that Benn will showcase a better performance.
And when asked if Eubank Jr bringing Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre for the fight would make a difference, the former champ remained confident that it wouldn’t. In fact, in the older Benn’s words, ‘BoMac’ couldn’t “polish a turd”.
“It won’t make a difference. He’s had four or five trainers, and none of them have changed him. He’s still the same way. Terence Crawford could go to any trainer, and he’d still be the main,” he said. “He’s going to be the real Conor.”
“I’m Here To Support Him”
A rivalry that spanned generations, the face-off also seemed like one between the fathers, Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel. While Nigel was a lot more eccentric, Eubank Sr remained a lot more reserved, skilfully deflecting his verbal jabs.
After greeting his former rival with a hug, Eubank Jr stressed that he was only there to support his son, “I’m here to support again. He’s doing the weight, so I’m here to support – just in case there are those who want to bark or scold him. I guess I’m here to actually protect him…You can’t pay me anything; I’m here for heart. Remember what I’ve lived by my whole career.”
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