Boxing: Eubank-Benn Rematch Announced For November

The much-anticipated rematch between British rivals Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in November.

Eubank beat Benn by unanimous decision in a thrilling middleweight contest at the same venue in April.

Despite no title being on the line, the bout between the bitter foes – which took place 35 years after their fathers, Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, first fought – garnered huge attention.

And after Eubank was named the winner 116-112 on all three judges’ scorecards, a rematch was wanted by fans and touted by promoters.

A second bout had been agreed for 20 September, however it fell through amid concerns Eubank would not be ready.

Now organisers Ring Magazine, which is owned by Turki Alalshikh, have announced , externalthe rematch will take place on 15 November.

Eddie Hearn, Benn’s promoter and chairman of Matchroom Boxing, also shared the same date via Instagram, external.

Eubank and his camp have not yet commented on the announcement.

From ‘dead’ to announced, again – analysis
At the end of June, it was announced that Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr would renew their rivalry on 20 September.

However, by 17 July, Team Benn were concerned Eubank didn’t want to fight. Three days later, Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn was declaring the rematch “dead”.

Now, less than a month down the line, the fight is back on – this time for 15 November.

The driving force behind a new date being confirmed was Turki Alalshikh, who caught both teams completely off guard when he originally announced the September bout.

Eubank did not comment publicly on that announcement and is yet to on this one. In June, it was perhaps an indication that he didn’t want that date or wanted to look again at the terms of the first bout which included a fight-day rehydration clause.

Their first bout was like capturing lightning in a bottle. A carefully managed event that had no business happening but did. And it was fun to watch.

Can organisers recapture the same magic? We know Eubank can make the weight. We had the incredible WWE-style arrival of Chris Eubank Sr on fight night. We saw a weight-drained Eubank do enough to keep the smaller Benn at bay for a comfortable points win.

Will the rematch produce the same intrigue? We shall find out, presumably in November.

Bbc.com