Boxing
Eddie Hearn says build-up to Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn ‘couldn’t have gone any better’
Joe Lyons is a sports writer with years of experience on reputable sports and gambling websites. Joe has also been published by Nottingham Forest, working with the academy and senior teams to produce content on matchdays. He formerly covered the Premier League and EFL as an on-site reporter during the 2020/21 season for Prost International. He is an expert in a range of sports including soccer, basketball, horse racing and American football. Joe specialises in long form content alongside news, tips and betting. Joe has a keen eye for the sports betting industry in the USA which covers the NBA and NFL, tracking and analysing the market as it changes throughout the season.
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Matchroom CEO Eddie Hearn reckons the dramatic build-up to Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn “couldn’t have gone any better” ahead of the April bout in London.
The highly-anticipated showdown turned up a notch at the first press conference in Manchester last month when Eubank Jr struck Benn with an egg, for which he was later fined £100,000.
Originally, the pair were due to face-off in October 2022 before the fight was postponed following Benn’s drugs scandal but last November he was cleared to box by UK Anti-Doping.
Eubank Jr and Benn’s rivalry goes deeper than just their own turmoil as their fathers Chris and Nigel fought twice in the 1990s.
Hearn represents Benn under the Matchroom promotion and the 45-year-old couldn’t have asked for a more exciting build-up to the April 26 clash.
“The noise, it’s been amazing. I mean, couldn’t have gone better, really, away from the physical egg situation. It’s made the fight bigger – on another level.
“That’s what Eubank does really well. He’s got a way of creating headlines that is just above and beyond the norm. Actually, [striking Benn was] a little bit out of character for him, if I’m honest.
“I would never expect him to actually lay hands on someone. He’s never really been that kind of guy.
“I think that’s a mix of a little bit of a personal vendetta and a mix of a showman wanting to make this fight as big as possible.”
WATCH: Chris Eubank Jr strikes Conor Benn with an egg
IT’S ALL KICKED OFF! ‼️
Chris Eubank Jr. SLAPS Conor Benn during intense face-off 💥 pic.twitter.com/r2AQ6mBD1H
— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) February 25, 2025
Who is favourite for Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn?
As per the best boxing betting sites, Eubank Jr is the 8/11 favourite to beat 13/8 underdog Benn and a draw is priced at 20/1.
Eubank Jr, aged 35, boasts a 34-3 record with 25 wins by knockout. His opponent Benn, aged seven years younger at 28, is undefeated in 23 career fights with 14 victories by knockout.
Eubank Jr is undoubtedly the more comfortable of the two at this middleweight class, with Benn moving up from a welterweight 147 to 160lbs to make this fight.