Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn remain firmly on a collision course after clashing once again on Saturday night as a surprising figure watched on in the form of footballing superstar Neymar.
The arch-rivals had to be separated by security after a war of words threatened to turn nasty at the pre-fight hotel in Riyadh on Thursday ahead of Eubank Jr’s first fight for 13 months against Kamil Szeremeta of Poland on the undercard of the rearranged undisputed light-heavyweight showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Eubank Jr shook off the ring rust with a mostly accomplished display against a former European middleweight champion, dropping him three times - including inside the first minute of round one - en route to a deserved seventh-round stoppage despite being cut by an accidental headbutt early on.
However, Benn was less than impressed at ringside, writing on X during the fight: “I promise you I will chin this idiot inside three rounds.”
I promise you I will chin this idiot Inside 3 rounds
— Conor Nigel Benn (@ConorNigel) October 12, 2024
Benn wasted no time in jumping straight into the ring after Eubank Jr’s victory over Szeremeta to pick up the vacant IBO middleweight world title as the duo went head to head once again two years after the late cancellation of their proposed fight following Benn’s two failed voluntary drugs tests.
“You looked s**t in there tonight, you can’t fight me like that. You’ll get done in three rounds,” Benn taunted his rival as security watched on closely. “Put your money on it.”
Benn then moved his head towards Eubank Jr, who responded in kind as they were separated once more.
Brazilian football icon Neymar - who currently plays for Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia - became an unexpected mediator to the latest episode of aggro between Eubank Jr and Benn, having been sat at ringside throughout the night in Riyadh before being brought into the ring in the midst of the argument.
“I got cut by a headbutt, but you know it’s nothing,” said Eubank Jr, who wants the fight with Benn next but insists he also wants to face the likes of Canelo Alvarez as well as another arch-nemesis in Billy Joe Saunders, who has been out of the ring since losing to Canelo in 2021 but has yet to officially retire.
“We having a good time out here. This [Neymar] is my boy and we’re coming for you [Benn].”
Eubank Jr’s promoter, Boxxer chief Ben Shalom, sounded optimistic that a fight with Benn could happen in early 2025, though Benn - who has always denied any wrongdoing - has yet to regain his British boxing license and in May was provisionally suspended from fighting again after successful appeals from the UK Anti-Doping Agency (UKAD) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC).
I guess I got my next scrap lined up pic.twitter.com/KsBziiyU8k
— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) October 12, 2024
Benn’s provisional suspension had previously been lifted by an independent National Anti-Doping panel and he beat Rodolfo Orozco in September 2023 before outpointing Peter Dobson on his last outing in February - both of those fights taking place in the United States. A hearing with the BBBoC is set to take place this month.
Eubank Jr wrote on X after his latest clash with Benn: “I guess I got my next scrap lined up.”
