Chris Eubank Jr settled his middleweight grudge match with Conor Benn with a unanimous decision victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
All three judges ruled the fight 116-112 in what was a thrilling end to the pair’s family bad blood, with both Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr in attendance.
The bout showed signs of Eubank Sr and Benn’s two-fight episode in the 1990s as Eubank Jr claimed an impressive victory in north London.
As expected, Benn came out of the blocks hot, with the more allusive Eubank Jr doing well to evade the majority of the power punches, as he went to his stall at the bell having survived what would be the freshest version of his opponent.
The heavier Eubank Jr was failing to use his weight to his advantage, with him opting to fight on the back foot instead of fighting fire with fire as Benn ended the third having scored the most significant blows.
If Eubank Jr was to turn the tide, he would need a better performance than his lacklustre win over Kamil Szeremeta last year. This began to happen as he started to beat Benn to the punch in the fifth, with the London man showing signs of fatigue with a slip on the canvas.
Benn’s frantic approach from close range was hard to read and Eubank Jr’s chin showed great resilience, despite him being 35 years old.
By the seventh, the rivalry was still clear with back of the head shots and forearm pushes to the face being a common theme as referee Victor Loughlin having to dish out multiple warnings to the pair.
Any slow approach by Eubank Jr at the start had well and truly evaporated towards the closing stages, with both boxers fighting to the tune of the crowd with the bout turning into a war.
Both understood the assignment and traded, sacrificing shots to their own chins in a bid to land that one pivotal punch.
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By the 11th round, the weight and height of Eubank Jr took its toll on Benn, who looked a shell of his early work as the fight swung in the favour of his rival.
Benn was out on his feet by the final bell and it was enough evidence for the judges to score a clear win in favour of the experienced Eubank Jr.
Donald McRae’s report to follow