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Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn - The £100k egg and why it will be money well spent
Chris Eubank Jr is £100,000 poorer today, but the Brighton man may well receive that sum back with hefty interest when April 26 is out the way.
In an era dominated by viral reactions and trending topics, Eubank Jr, armed with more eggs than the bottom of a chicken’s nest, created far more headlines for his childish attack on Conor Benn than anything that had occurred beforehand in or out of the ring during his lengthy career.
A former world title challenger, the son of boxing royalty, and one of the few British boxers with mainstream credibility, for Eubank Jr’s profile to soar over an assault on his most despised rival due to what we can only perceived as a juvenile prank once again proves that boxing’s USP will often be dramatic controversy.
In the aftermath of Eubank’s well-planned stunt, the elders of boxing journalism, people who saw ears bitten, faces glassed, and tables thrown, displayed their anger at the image of an egg exploding on Benn’s face. But one expects that frustration to be a distant memory when the first bell sounds in just over a month’s time, live on DAZN PPV.
To set the record straight, in any other world, Eubank’s actions would be considered criminal, brutal, and cowardly. But in the Wild West that is boxing, a term often used by The Ring’s Johnny Evans, Eubank’s actions are considered fairly normal and will add more drama and intrigue to what is an already gargantuan event.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
With a backstory containing squabbling fathers, a pair of British classics, 'parliamentary procedure', and drug issues, Eubank Jr and Benn requires an epic series on Netflix rather than 12 rounds of action. Even that would be followed up with demand to churn out numerous sequels.
Build-ups to fights have had promoters pouring petrol over them for as long as I can remember and when the fighters add the fire, the flames can be devastating.
Eubank Jr’s outburst may not have been for everybody, and purists are well within their rights to feel slightly aggrieved, but when this event is confirmed as a genuine box office bonanza for the sport, the egg incident will play a significant part in the success.
Using the egg was Eubank Jr’s way of preventing Benn from forgetting the past. When the pair were set meet in 2022, an adverse finding in Benn’s drug test ensured the bout would not go ahead. When Benn’s defence campaign got underway, eggs were identified as a potential reason for the issue.
Since day one, this explanation was ridiculed by Eubank Jr as he moved forward with his own career. Over two years later, with the family feud reignited, a stark reminder has been sent.
So far, the incident has impacted both fighters in a massive way, but it is Eubank Jr who perhaps holds the upper hand, despite being out of pocket due to the British Boxing Board of Control clamping down on his volatile behaviour.
Benn will surely feel embarrassed over what happened due to being a proud fighting man. After being struck with eyes of the world watching, his capacity to strike back was prevented by quick-thinking security guards.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Repercussions were instead dished out to Eubank Jr by Britain’s boxing authority, but in the bigger picture, will the punishment have any real impact when the egging is likely to lead to the overall commercially success of the event?
Some within the boxing community have hit out at the severity of the fine, largely due to Eubank Jr’s previous good character and other notorious doings not receiving the same scrutiny.
Regardless of opinions, right or wrong, the £100,000 could be loose change in Eubank Jr’s car’s drink holder by the time his fight with Benn is over.
Eddie Hearn and Ben Shalom, part of the fight’s promotion, were briefly involved in the skirmish when backing their fighters.
Both sensibly condoned the actions of Eubank Jr, but with both applying their salesman persona, especially the ridiculously creative Hearn, each will surely know that Eubank Jr’s provocation was a marketing masterstroke.
An event built on their fathers' fights is now deeply personal between their sons. The evidence was there to see when it was revealed that the waiting list for tickets was far more than the vast capacity at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
April 26 will be a sellout. The fight will dominate back pages, and perhaps front, and if each fighter can deliver what they are promising, there might be an opportunity to do it for a second and third time.
When all is said and done, Eubank Jr and Benn will be amongst some of the wealthiest boxers to ever step foot in the ring.
Reflecting on the numerous chapters that took them to that point, Eubank Jr, and perhaps even Benn, may agree that an egg to the face and a massive fine were consequences worth enduring.
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