Joey’s Corner: Benn has the final word on generational Eubank rivalry

Benn beats Eubank - a sentence no boxing writer was able to write for 35 years until this past Saturday. Conor Benn, the welter-to-middle, dare-to-dreamer disrupted the parliamentary procedure of the punching peacock, Chris Eubank Jr, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The inter-generational rivalry might not be numerically settled. However, while the keyboard cynics might disagree, none of the 60,000 fans in North London were left anticipating a trilogy fight. Benn’s rout over Eubank laid this most captivating family rivalry to rest. Read on as Joey’s Corner looks at the significance of Saturday’s full stop at the end of British boxing’s longest soliloquy.

It had to end this way. It was the only way the feud would end. If ‘Destroyer’ Conor did not deliver a victory over ‘Next Gen’ Chris on a sharp November night in the capital, you sense generations of Benns would be chasing future Eubanks for the rest of time. As Heath Ledger’s immortal Joker told Christian Bale’s snarling Caped Crusader; “I think you and I are destined to do this forever”.

But after Saturday, I do not think we will see this particular Benn and this unique Eubank in a prize ring against each other again. It remains to be seen whether the latter will ever compete again. After the first fight, Benn crowed that he took Eubank’s soul. Seeing the crestfallen Chris at the post-fight presser, perhaps Conor might be onto something.

Eubank deserves full credit for gamely addressing the press. Not many fighters on the losing side do that these days. The 36-year-old would hear of no excuses from the assembled throng of YouTube darlings, time-honoured scribes and mid-modernisation journos who are caught between the two. Eubank insisted, "We're not taking away from what Conor did.” 

Boxing Odds

While the beaten man would offer no excuses, his promoter Ben Shalom alluded to issues that have not been made public. Eubank was leaving the press conference and attempted to stop the Boxxer supremo from revealing details. When the fighter departed, Shalom offered, “Chris doesn't want to say it but I saw what I saw and he deserves a huge amount of credit to get in there tonight. It was an unbelievable spectacle.”

That it was. How else do you describe an event that had Conor and Nigel arriving to the rumble of drums playing Phil Collins banger In The Air Tonight? Then the opening strains of Many Men brought a roar this stadium is unlikely to ever top when the actual 50 Cent emerged next to a fur-coated pair of Chris Eubanks, young and old. This was a level or two above Sweet Caroline.

When asked about the surprise emergence of the rap superstar afterwards, Benn cleverly retorted “What’s 50 Cent gonna do?”. Not much as it happened. While the Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ legend whipped Spurs’ ground into a frenzy, the rapper could not do the fighting for Eubank Jr. After watching Chris get systematically dissected, I doubt he would have wanted to.

At the pre-fight press conference, Benn promised control. But few expected the hot-headed bomb-thrower to deliver. Apart from myself, of course. What’s that sound? Must be my own trumpet.

But I will confess even I did not expect the ‘Destroyer’ to deserve almost every round. But he did. Whether Conor carved Chris open with jabs, dug Eubank’s body with hurtful rights or deposited his man on the canvas in a rousing 12th stanza; the 29-year-old was never in less than total control.

That fact will be lost on many. The sneering cynics who think a Benn win was in ‘the script’ to sell a third fight. This ain’t WWE, lads. One look at the scarred faces of these two ring warriors at the press conference was enough to know no punches were pulled. As the victor put it post-fight, “Not bad for two silver-spoon kids, eh?”

The achievement of two packed stadium shows is something these men can wear with pride. How many sons of legendary boxers actually make it at this elevated level? For every Cory Spinks, there are a dozen Marvis Fraziers. But whatever you think of the Benns or the Eubanks, no other boxing family has managed to engage a nation with their rivalry for three decades. 

So what next? Before the fight Shalom told me Canelo Alvarez was in Eubank’s sights. A fine reward for a win, but in defeat I feel like an emotional stock-take is needed. But no need to rush. Eubank is set to welcome twins soon. ‘Next Gen’ can concentrate on his own next generation, knowing 24 rounds of Benn bloodshed will deliver them the means to enjoy an incredible life.