Chris Eubank Sr believes his son had an alternative option to facing Conor Benn.
Eubank Jr will meet Benn in a rescheduled showdown on April 26 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Eubank Sr, who fought Benn’s father twice in the 1990’s, has been vocal in his disapproval of the pair’s meeting and believes his son should have chosen a rematch with Billy Joe Saunders, who beat him on points in 2014, but has not fought since losing to Canelo Alvarez in May 2021.
“You lost to a fighter called Billy [Joe] Saunders, you shouldn’t have lost that fight,” the 58-year-old said on his YouTube channel Call Chris Eubank.
“You lost it because you were disobedient to the plan that I gave you, you started fighting after the sixth round to prove to me that you can beat him at anytime.
“I expressly put down in solid words, you are not fighting Billy [Joe] Saunders, you are fighting the promoter and you will not beat the promoter.
“As they’d say you’d have to knock him out to get a draw, that’s the humour they use, that’s the influence of the promoters.
“You should be fighting Billy Joe Saunders.”
Eubank Jr and Benn meet two-and-a-half years on from when they were supposed to have fought, with their first scheduled bout shelved on fight week after Benn failed two drug tests.
‘The Destroyer’ was cleared in October to resume his career by the National Anti-Doping Panel, who lifted his suspension.
Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, says Eubank Sr will be in attendance on fight night as well as Benn’s father Nigel.
A family feud that 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐒 settling 😤
🇬🇧 @ChrisEubankJr 🆚 @ConorNigel is 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥‼️#EubankBenn @Turki_alalshikh @EddieHearn @benjshalom @ChrisEubank @NigelGBenn @ringmagazine pic.twitter.com/qFjKxIRGlF
— Pro Boxing Fans (@ProBoxingFans) January 23, 2025
“We discussed it with them, and everyone will be there,” Alalshikh told Sky Sports.
“And we have a lot of surprises inside the Tottenham stadium and throughout the fight week.
“There is also will be a big concert for 20-30 minutes with very famous artists inside the stadium.”
Benn will move up to middleweight to face his Brighton rival and there is a rehydration clause in the contract, which prevents both men from coming in any higher than 10lbs at the second day weigh in.
The British rivals will face-to-face in Manchester on Tuesday evening to kick off a two-city press tour to promoter their April bout, concluding in London on Thursday.
