Britain's most famous blood feud resumes this Saturday from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Chris Eubank Jr. faces Conor Benn. It figures to be an entertaining scrap, and there has certainly been a good deal of animosity between the two (especially with the egg slap heard 'round the world). But it will most likely pale in comparison to the heat that was generated by their fathers in the 90's.
There have been many rivalries in boxing. From Ali-Frazier in the States, to Barrera-Morales for Mexicans, for Brits, there was nothing quite like the venom and hatred between Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn.
They were fire and ice. You couldn't find two fighters who were as contrasting as they were in terms of their personalities and temperament inside the ring.
Eubank was considered a rather odd individual by boxing standards for his stately manner. If there was ever boxer who was meant to go into the ring with a monocle and top hat, it was him. He looked at boxing as a necessary evil in his life. Something that was beneath him but he was compensated well for his troubles. For Eubank, it was strictly a profession. The fiery Benn was your prototypical boxing ruffian, one who was rough-and-tumble inside the squared circle. For him, this was more than a way to make a living, but a way of life.
When Eubank stated that boxing was a ''game for mugs'', Benn took great offense to it, given that he figured he was one of those said ''mugs''. It's clear that Eubank looked at Benn as a bit of a savage, while Benn -- like much of England -- viewed Eubank as arrogant and haughty.
It made for great theater -- and a big fight.
Which is why when they first scheduled to clash in November of 1990, the signing of the bout contracts was actually nationally televised with both men sitting side-by-side (with Eubank refusing to even look in Benn's direction, believing he was unworthy of his attention)
DAZN graphic
Vintage Boxing (who runs a great YouTube channel) has uploaded the pre-fight build up and their memorable bout which ended with Eubank suddenly hurting and finishing Benn in the ninth round of what had been a hotly contested battle.
In the aftermath, both Eubank and Benn went on lengthy winning streaks and they were paired against one another in October of 1993 with the WBC and WBO super middleweight titles on the line. The buzz surrounding this rematch was palpable in the UK. The pair actually appeared on a show dedicated to these two and their second go-around entitled 'Best of Enemies' (which had a rather humorous cameo at the end from James Toney) which was aired right before their rematch. Keep this in mind, both of their battles were broadcast on a terrestrial channel (ITV), which means it had the widest reach possible at the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L_rGTfFjA0
This time around, things seemed a bit more civil between the two. Their first battle forged at least some grudging respect, if not full-blown admiration. On this program they seemed to hate each other a bit less than a few years ago.
The rematch ended in a disputed draw. There were plans for a third bout in subsequent years that never transpired for various reasons. But they are forever etched in history together, whether they can't stand one another or not.
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Now, their sons continue this rivalry. It has to be said that neither is as accomplished as their fathers. Both the elder Eubank and Benn were boxers who won world titles in multiple weight classes, and were rated among the games best in their divisions throughout their prime. Currently, neither son has captured a major belt, and while Eubank is currently rated number five at middleweight by Ring Magazine, while Benn is unranked at the moment.
It will be interesting to see how the weight impacts both fighters. Eubank -- who has competed in the past as a super middleweight -- will have to deal with a 10 pound rehydration clause after making 160. While Benn is the naturally smaller boxer. This particular dynamic has had Eubank Sr. coming out against this match-up. In his view, this violates the very tenets of the game. Does father know best?
But this bout is too big not to happen. After all, this is a business as much as it is a sport. The sons were born into this rivalry. Now we see a continuation of boxing's version of the Hatfield's and McCoy's.
3KR
This week on 'the 3 Knockdown Rule', Mario Lopez and I preview this bout, and discuss the upset of Charles Conwell, along with everything else in boxing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R1lQSXkX9A&t=24s
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