Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will come face to face once more at the launch press conference for their highly anticipated rematch on Wednesday evening.
Their first fight delivered a 12-round war, with Eubank Jr finishing strongly to claim a unanimous decision victory.
And the build-up to the grudge match was just as enthralling as Eubank Jr went on the front foot straight away to take on Benn and his team.
With his famous father absent until fight night, Eubank Jr was largely on his own but still went after the rest of the top table relentlessly.
Let’s reflect on his press conference rampages that set the tone for his rivalry with Benn ahead of their rematch on November 15, live on DAZN.
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Egg slap
The launch press conference for the first fight took place in February and it did not take long for the two fighters to start trading verbal blows.
Eubank Jr was particularly keen to raise the topic of Benn’s two failed drugs tests that caused their scheduled fight in October 2022 to be cancelled.
Benn has always maintained his innocence and initially claimed eating too many eggs may have caused his positive tests when the abnormal findings were first made public. He later denied this was his excuse, but Eubank Jr had not forgotten.
As the pair came together for their first face-off, Eubank Jr leaned in after pretending he couldn’t hear Benn and then slapped his rival around the face with an egg.
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Benn was fuming as he tried to get his hands on Eubank Jr, but security quickly jumped in to prevent a further physical confrontation.
The press conference was brought to an abrupt end as the two men headed in opposite directions backstage. Eubank Jr had pulled off his pre-planned stunt to land the first psychological blow.
Chris Eubank Jr threatens Nigel Benn
Two days after egg-gate, Eubank Jr and Benn moved down from Manchester for their second press conference in London.
Having managed to sneak an egg on to the stage via his pocket earlier in the week, Eubank Jr was jokingly checked by a security guard as he made his way to his seat to renew his rivalry with Benn.
If that had been a trivial moment, things quickly turned serious again. In the aftermath of the egg slap, Benn’s father, Nigel, had made his way over to Eubank Jr and grabbed him by the throat.
Eubank Jr addressed this in London and sent out a chilling warning to the former two-weight world champion.
“I understand the frustration and the heat you were experiencing after I egged Conor,” he said.
“But you did put your hand around my neck, so I’m going to give you a pass.
“But I’m just letting you know, if my hand ever touches you again you won’t get it back.”
Conor bit back furiously: “Shut your f****** mouth.
“Oi silly b******s, shut your f****** mouth. Silly b*****s, threaten my dad again see what happens.”
Nigel interjected: “Listen Con, I can handle this. I’m old school. I’m really sorry I done that but you put your hand on my son.”
Eubank Jr had got his apology and riled up his opponent again as he gained the upper hand in another press conference.
Silencing Eddie Hearn
The relationship between the Eubanks and the Hearns is a complicated one.
Barry Hearn promoted Chris Eubank Sr for some of the biggest fights of his career in the 1990s, and Eddie Hearn briefly had a promotional deal with Eubank Jr as he moved towards world level.
But the two families have since gone their separate ways and are no longer on amicable terms.
That became clear at the press conferences for the first fight, with Eubank Jr adamant it would not become ‘The Eddie Hearn Show”.
Every time the Matchroom boss went to speak, Eubank Jr would cut him off to prevent Hearn from taking centre stage.
By the final press conference on fight week, Hearn knew the score and called up Matchroom CEO Frank Smith to take his place at the top table.
This added a fresh twist to the feud as Smith is in a long-term relationship with Eubank Jr’s sister, Emily.
But Eubank Jr’s stance did not change. He wanted Matchroom to have as little involvement as possible and told Smith he would not be getting the chance to speak at the top table either.
Chris Eubank Jr opens up on ‘pain’
Eubank Jr is the master of getting under the skin of his opponent but he has been accused of playing a character, leaving fans wondering: ‘Who is the real Chris Eubank Jr?’
At the final press conference, the middleweight contender finally opened up as he gave the public an insight into what he has had to overcome in his personal life.
After being goaded by Benn over struggling to make weight, Eubank Jr revealed what “pain” means to him as he reflected on the tragic passing of his brother, Sebastian, in 2021 and the breakdown in his relationship with his father.
Eubank Jr said: “The weight is painful. I’m in pain right now. I’ll be in even more pain tonight and tomorrow morning. But the question I ask myself is what is pain?
“I have a 31-year-old brother, he is buried in the desert in Dubai, that’s pain. His son Raheem, 3 years old, he asks ‘Why can’t I see my daddy? Why can’t he take me to school?’ That’s pain,” Eubank Jr. said.
“My own father, a man I idolized for my entire life, we don’t speak, he thinks I am a disgrace. These things are what pain is to me.
“If I can deal with all of these trial and tribulations, then the weight cut, the rehydration clause, they are not an issue.”
If egg-gate and silencing Hearn had all been a game, this was Eubank Jr baring his soul on the biggest stage and his willingness to speak out won over some fans ahead of fight night.
How will Chris Eubank Jr approach the rematch press conference?
Eubank Jr went on a solo rampage before the first fight, but he may have some help this time around.
After reuniting with his father on fight night, Eubank Jr insists their relationship has gone from strength to strength since. It is possible that Eubank Sr could attend Wednesday’s press conference or future events closer to fight night, and he is never shy of a word or two.
Alternatively, Eubank Jr may be on his own once again, but he didn’t seem to mind last time.
It will be difficult for him to top what he pulled off earlier this year. He managed to win the war of words before the fight and then triumphed inside the ring.
But if someone can find a new way to rattle his opponent, it is Eubank Jr. Don’t be surprised if he has a new trick up his sleeve as he walks into Wednesday’s press conference to take on Team Benn again.
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