Chris Eubank Sr has moved to cool talk of personal hostility between his son and Conor Benn, insisting the bitterness surrounding their rivalry has been manufactured by promoter Eddie Hearn rather than the fighters themselves.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s rematch, the former world champion rejected any suggestion that Chris Eubank Jr harbours hatred for Benn, despite their heated first meeting in April.
That bout arrived 35 years after Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn produced one of British boxing’s defining rivalries, and the second-generation version has already generated vast attention and controversy.
Eubank Jr is expected to earn more than £20million from the two-fight series, a figure his father believes has shaped the middleweight’s mindset far more than any sense of personal animus.
“Let me talk about the hatred,” Eubank Sr told The Sun.
“That’s not coming from either of them. It’s coming from the promoter, Barry Hearn’s son. The hatred is in him, it’s not the boys.
“My son couldn’t care less. All he’s looking at is money and that’s fine. I understand that. Hatred? No. Jr isn’t built that way. He wouldn’t be, because I’m not built that way.
Chris Eubank Jr beat Conor Benn in their first showdown back in April
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REUTERS“And Conor is an extraordinary young man for how deeply he loves his father. That is a beautiful thing. The hatred is coming from the promoter.”
Eubank Sr famously defeated Nigel Benn in 1990 before the pair earned a brutal draw three years later.
When their sons were first matched last year, the elder Eubank threatened to boycott the fight, citing concerns over the contracted weight and the rehydration clause imposed on both boxers.
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PA
Both men must again restrict themselves to a 10lb overnight limit before Saturday’s contest, and for Eubank Sr the issue remains a serious point of contention.
“For three years I was saying this fight shouldn’t be because the weights are wrong,” he said. “I said I’ll never be proved wrong because I am standing on the rules. So I’ve said all that I’ve had to say. It doesn’t change.
“There will be consequences. Dehydration is dangerous. I’m not talking for my son because no one’s listening. I’m talking for the fighters who are watching these two fighters. Watch what happens. These promoters know nothing.”
Eubank Jr spent two nights in hospital due to severe dehydration after edging Benn over 12 rounds in the spring, a fact his father believes has been overlooked in the rush to secure a lucrative return.
Carl Froch joined George Groves, Eubank Sr and Harlem Eubank to discuss the rematch. Froch attempted to play down concerns, suggesting the first fight had passed without incident.
“We’ve already seen it,” Froch said. “There was no issue.”
Chris Eubank Sr reconciled with his son on the night of his bout with Conor Benn
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ReutersEubank Sr responded sharply. “You were not in the ambulance with my son,” he said.
“He was touch and go. The public don’t see that.”
With the rematch now only days away, it’ll be fascinating to see who comes out on top.
Millions are expected to tune in to watch the action unfold.
