Chris Eubank Jr will face Conor Benn in a catchweight bout on October 8 at the O2 Arena in Londonit’s confirmed.
The sons of boxing legends Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn are set to rekindle a historic family rivalry that captured national attention in the 1990s.
On November 18, 1990, Benn and Eubank met for the first time.
The pair made no attempt to hide their distaste for each other in what was a fascinating pre-fight buildup.
Their encounter was also very successful in the ring, with Eubank coming out on top of the action-packed confrontation earning a ninth-round stoppage victory, despite being floored himself in the previous round.
Three years later, on October 9, 1993, a rematch once again produced epic action.
Benn and Eubank went to war for the second time and on that occasion went each other the full distance of 12 rounds.
Many thought Benn had done enough to claim victory in the rematch, but the judges eventually scored the draw and, sadly, a trilogy fight never happened between them.
Now, nearly 30 years later, their sons continue the rivalry.
Eubank Jr, now 32, has been on the professional boxing scene for quite some time now, as it’s been over a decade since he started following in his father’s footsteps.
Although he has yet to win a legitimate world title, he has already been involved in a series of entertaining domestic matchups, including losses to Billy Joe Saunders and George Groves, and wins to James DeGale and Liam Williams.
Benn, meanwhile, only recently turned 25.
He remains undefeated to this day as one of the highest rated young prospects in the world, although he has yet to compete near the elite level.
When Benn entered the professional boxing world six years ago, some speculated about a potential future meeting with Eubank Jr, although they were quickly put down.
At the time, Eubank Jr was competing at super middleweight (168 pounds), while Benn was starting at welterweight (140 pounds).
Since then, however, Benn has moved up and campaigned at welterweight (147 pounds), while Eubank Jr has fallen into his more natural middleweight division (160 pounds).
Now, the pair will meet at a catchweight between those two splits in a massive PPV blockbuster.
Eubank Jr said: “I grew up watching their [Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn’s] legendary battles and still wanting to emulate that, and find my own nemesis. Could it now be Conor Benn? We will find out.
“He walked the same path as me. I know his fight. Living in the shadow of a legend and trying to step out of that shadow and make a name for himself. If he can beat me, his name will be made and he will never walk in his father’s shadow again.
“It’s a fight that will blow the imagination of the British public, that’s what I’m happy about. In terms of anticipation, legacy and hype, this is the biggest fight of my career.
Benn added, “This fight is for the legacy and was an opportunity I felt I couldn’t pass up.
“This fight is steeped in so much history and I know this is the one the audience really wants to see. For me this fight is personal, it’s more than titles and rankings, it’s an unfinished business between our families!
“Born Rivals is the perfect call for this fight, because we’ve always been together and I’ve always been asked if we’ll ever fight, and now I can’t wait for the world to see us get there.
“All I know is that on my side it will be an all-out war, a sort of last-man-standing fight. Neither of them will give up until the last bell rings. I won’t be looking to put this on the scorecards, it will be explosive from the get-go. I’m so in for this.
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