British boxing legend Ricky Hatton has weighed in with his prediction for the fast approaching showdown between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn.
Personal scores will be settled when Eubank Jr and Benn lock horns at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26, in what is being billed as one of the biggest fights to ever take place on British shores.
Initially only matched together because of their fathers’ rivalry in the 1990s, there is now genuine bad blood between the pair after a build-up of over two-and-a-half years.
Benn, a welterweight the majority of his career, will jump up two weight classes to take on ‘Next Gen’ at middleweight, and many observers believe the size disparity will prove the pivotal factor.
Hatton revealed to Sky Sports, however, that he is not one of them.
“I’m friends with Nigel, friends with Conor, but a lot of people are favouring Eubank a little bit.
“Let’s have it right, Conor’s not boxed nowhere near the level of Chris or the people Chris has fought at his own weight let alone two weights above.
“But Chris will be boiling down a bit, last time he boiled down he got knocked out by Liam Smith so that will help Conor.
“But knowing Nigel and Conor like I do, the self-belief that Conor has, he has that real self-belief and will and drive to win, so I think that might give him the edge and I’m gonna go with Conor.”
Eubank and Benn were initially scheduled to box in October of 2022, however this was shelved on fight week due to ‘The Destroyer returning two positive VADA tests.
The build-up between the two family rivals has captured the country’s attention, particularly when Eubank slapped his younger rival across the face with an egg following a heated launch press conference.
The Brighton man was fined £100,000 by the British Boxing Board of Control for the stunt, however that will be comfortably covered by the estimated eight-figure payday he will take home in a few weeks’ time.
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