A reversed result compared to seven months ago. This time, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it was Conor Benn who was carried in triumph after a clear points victory over rival Chris Eubank Jr, who not only lost most of the rounds but also suffered two knockdowns in the final session. Promoter Eddie Hearn can now smile, as he will be able to take advantage of his “Destroyer’s” momentum to secure more major Matchroom Boxing fights for him. Benn’s victory was confirmed by a unanimous decision with the following scorecards: 119–107, 116–110 and 118–108.
Eubank began this rematch in a cautious manner: Chris circled the perimeter of the ring, leaving the center and the initiative entirely to his opponent, hoping to punish him with counters.
This strategy seemed effective in the opening round, marked by two well-executed right hands from Eubank; however, it failed in the following session, dominated by Benn’s jab and relentless in-and-out movement, which rendered the pre-fight favourite completely helpless.
Eubank tried to make tactical adjustments by increasing his work rate and avoiding being pinned to the ropes as often during the third round—a fairly balanced one—but any impression that the fight might turn out competitive evaporated quickly.
From the fourth round onward, Benn shifted gears and began to take control decisively. The Destroyer stayed right in front of his opponent, using sharp upper-body movement to avoid Eubank’s shots, and secured rounds by accelerating at the right moments.
Eubank lacked the timing needed to counter this approach. The winner of the first fight simply couldn’t get his shots off at the right time, and by constantly fighting off the back foot, he allowed Benn to dictate the pace and command the action.
Minutes passed, and Chris did very little to reverse the trajectory of the contest. A brief surge of pride near the end of a rather dull eighth round might have earned him that session, but it was an isolated moment, with no follow-up.
In the subsequent rounds, even though he was surely aware of the deficit he had accumulated, the son of “Simply The Best” returned to being flat and inactive, almost mummified, while Benn, with superior sharpness and foot speed, landed at will, picking his moments wisely.
The final round put the exclamation mark on the Destroyer’s performance. Eubank tried awkwardly to move forward in a desperate attempt to score an unlikely KO, but he did so with poor coordination and left huge defensive gaps. Benn took advantage with a perfect jab to the tip of the chin followed by a right hand that grazed the back of the head.
It’s unclear which punch caused the decisive effect, but Eubank lost control of his legs and went down. Benn’s follow-up attack ended with a heavy right hand as Chris tried to tie up: another count, and the fight ended seconds later.
There was of course no doubt about the winner. I scored it 117–109 for Benn, so I have no objections to the judges’ verdict.
Conor Benn deserves credit for implementing the right tactical and technical adjustments ahead of this rematch. The son of the unforgettable Nigel used far less energy, selected his shots better, employed his jab more consistently and slipped Eubank’s jab much more frequently thanks to excellent upper-body movement.
On the other hand, it must be said that Eubank’s performance was truly poor. Chris looked like a completely washed-up fighter: slow, flat, and utterly incapable of shifting gears once things started going wrong. This defeat, so clear and so heavy, may indeed mark the end of his career.