Eubank Jr’s defeat leads to tense post-fight press conference
Chris Eubank Jr abruptly shut down his promoter Ben Shalom at the post-fight press conference, cutting him off mid-sentence as Shalom attempted to hint at the gruelling struggles the fighter had faced in camp before his bruising defeat to rival Conor Benn, reports BritPanorama.
Benn, 29, dominated the rematch over 12 punishing rounds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, knocking Eubank Jr down twice in the final session before sealing a clear unanimous decision on the cards: 119-107, 118-108 and 116-110.
This result marked a dramatic reversal from their meeting seven months earlier, when Eubank Jr had emerged victorious despite a draining weight cut that left him severely dehydrated and in hospital for two days. This time, Eubank Jr, 36, appeared physically stronger, weighing in at 159.1lbs to Benn’s 159.3lbs under the strict contractual limits both camps agreed to.
However, as the fight wore on, the veteran seemed increasingly flat, visibly labouring through the middle rounds while Benn racked up points. When the final bell rang, Eubank Jr faced the media first and admitted he had been battling serious problems in camp, though he declined to detail them. “I’ve been through hell and back to make it here today,” he stated. “I genuinely thought that regardless of the issues that I’ve been dealing with, I would be able to go in there and win… From that first round, I realised that I was mistaken, but it’s okay.”
Things turned tense shortly afterwards when Shalom attempted to elaborate on Eubank’s challenges, telling reporters, “All I want to say is what Chris went through in camp, he won’t want to talk about it but the things I saw – he did incredibly well to get in the ring tonight. He’s the reason this has been so big.” Eubank Jr interrupted him with a warning, prompting Shalom to credit his fighter for pushing through while expressing concern over his wellbeing.
Eubank Jr then left the room, casting shadows over the full extent of the hardships that had undermined his preparations. The weight-cut was clearly strenuous; Eubank Jr had posted footage online showing himself wrapped in layers of sweat gear, cycling, and sitting in a sauna while drenched in sweat, insisting, “Ain’t no way I’m missing weight this time.”
Meanwhile, Benn celebrated his victory, declaring the famous father-and-son rivalry between their two families finally settled. “It’s been some journey and I feel like this is the end of the Benn-Eubank saga,” he told DAZN. “It’s done and finished. This ends here.” He relished proving doubters wrong, stating, “Everyone was saying ‘can’t box’ – put that in your pipe and smoke it.”
When asked about the possibility of a trilogy fight, Eubank Jr provided no commitment, reflecting, “I need to heal. I need to deal with what I’m dealing with and then… I can start thinking about my path in the sport.” For now, the rivalry appears finished, though the questions surrounding Eubank Jr’s troubled fight camp remain unanswered.
As the dust settles on this latest chapter, it’s clear that in boxing, as in life, the narratives are rarely as simple as winning and losing — there are often deeper battles beneath the surface.
