April 26 saw one of the biggest fights unfold at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the UK. 35 years after Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr. had their first match, their sons Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. went head to head at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds. Though Eubank Jr. secured a comfortable unanimous decision over Benn, one thing was always clear. What?
Well, there will be a rematch. And lo and behold, latest reports have revealed that the British duo will square off one more time on September 20th at the same weight limit with the same 10-pound rehydration clause. Although a venue hasn’t been revealed quite yet, all signs point to the fight unfolding at either Tottenham or Wembley. Amid the excitement for the second fight, the purse for the bout has been revealed.
Speaking to Seconds Out recently, highly acclaimed sports journalist and broadcaster Gareth A. Davies claimed, “I knew there’d be a second fight, because there’s so much money involved in it. When boxing makes big business, it always happens.” According to reports, the first fight saw Eubank Jr. walk away with £10 million ($12.8 million), while Benn settled for £8 million ($10 million).
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Davies claimed the rematch will earn the duo a similar purse from the fight. “They [are] both earning 10 million again. It’s a big fight. I feel like the box has been ticked, that’s all,” Davis added. Regardless, the first fight had its share of controversies as well, which cost Eubank Jr. a significant amount of money, something he might want to avoid this time around.
At first, Eubank Jr. smashed an egg on Benn’s face during a face-off — a stunt that cost him £100,000. The act was a pointed reference to Benn’s positive PED test, which had led to the cancellation of their highly anticipated fight in October 2022. It followed another £375,000 fine when Eubank Jr. came over the 160-pound limit during official weigh-ins, though he managed to weigh under 170lbs rehydration limit the next morning.
However, even then, Eubank Jr. landed himself in trouble with the BBBofC.
Chris Eubank Jr. was ordered to appear in front of the BBBofC after the Conor Benn fight
If you were wondering why Eubank Jr. was ordered to appear in front of the British Boxing Board of Control, he had actually used a sauna to lose weight before the fight, and the BBBofC wanted Eubank Jr. to explain the allegations. The use of saunas for weight-cutting is banned by the BBBofC due to health and safety concerns.
The Black Panther premiere in London, UK – 03 Nov 2022 Chris Eubank Jr attends the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever European Premiere. London United Kingdom NOxUSExINxGERMANY PUBLICATIONxINxALGxARGxAUTxBRNxBRAxCANxCHIxCHNxCOLxECUxEGYxGRExINDxIRIxIRQxISRxJORxKUWxLIBxLBAxMLTxMEXxMARxOMAxPERxQATxKSAxSUIxSYRxTUNxTURxUAExUKxVENxYEMxONLY Copyright: xSOPAxImagesx Editorial use only sipausa_45422047
The board will hold a hearing this month to determine whether disciplinary action is necessary. Eubank Jr. had posted a video of his extreme weight cut online, which drew criticism. His promoter, Ben Shalom, had called for a rematch at a higher weight, arguing that the weight limit placed undue strain on Eubank’s body. However, the rematch landed on the same weight as before.
With that said, Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn are headed for a second action-packed night of boxing. Will it mirror the first encounter between them? Or can Benn shock the world with a massive upset this time around?
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