Why did Chris Eubank Jr slap Conor Benn with an egg? Relive the story before blockbuster rematch

Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn face off in a hotly anticipated rematch this Saturday, November 15, with a press conference that has already served up its fair share of drama.

But any interaction between the pair will take some beating after both the superb entertainment of their first fight - and the explosive media event that prefaced it.

Eubank Jr. famously slapped Benn with an egg during a face-off earlier this year, a serious move that saw the former hit with several fines and charges.

But the story behind the whole incident still is worth revisiting ahead of their latest encounter. Here, DAZN News has all the information you need to know.

What's the prelude to the Eubank Jr. v Benn egg slap?

Well, it all goes back to October 2022 when the two enemies were originally set to meet in a highly anticipated bout.

Just days before their contest, as they looked to write the latest chapter in a 30-year feud between the two fighting families, it was revealed Benn had delivered an 'adverse finding' for the banned substance clomiphene after taking a voluntary drugs test.

The fight was cancelled, causing outrage from team Eubank and the fanbase. Benn was banned from fighting in the UK and spent the next three years fighting to clear his name.

Benn was eventually cleared and his fight with Eubank Jr on April 26, live on DAZN PPV , at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, will represent his return to British boxing after a three year absence and a chance to rebuild his career.

How did eggs help clear Benn's name?

Looking back to February 2023 when Benn was appealing his suspension, an independent report by the WBC claimed that Benn's failed drug test was unintentional.

The investigation stated the cause could have been due to "highly elevated consumption of eggs".

It is important to note, Conor Benn has never publicly stated this was the cause of the failed drug test. 

Those findings helped Benn get his suspension lifted to allow him to fight again in the UK.

However the "highly elevated consumption of eggs" finding has been fuel to the fire for Benn's critics. For a showman like Eubank Jr it has given him plenty of ammunition to fire at this opponent. 

After the slapping incident in Manchester, Eubank Jr explained on social media that the egg was his response to the report's findings.

Eubank Jr stated on Instagram: "Apparently egg contamination was the reason for his two failed drugs tests. So, I contaminated him with an egg."

What was the aftermath of the egg slap?

The egg slap sent this fight into the stransphoe in terms of hype and worldwide attention.

It dominated both the back and front pages of the newspapers, was the talk of social media for days, and led to Benn's promoter, Matchroom's Eddie Hearn, claiming over 100,000 fans had joined the pre-sale waiting list for tickets.

Eubank Jr was fined an eye-watering £100,000 by the British Boxing Board Control for the incident .

Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

He has expressed anger since, saying that the fine was "too steep".

He said: "£100,000 for throwing an egg seems a little bit strong. Especially looking at what others have been fined for what would seem to be much more serious incidents over the years."

Ultimately though, it would be 'Nex Gen' who had the last laugh, when he defeated Benn by unanimous decision, to lay the groundwork for this November's rematch.

Watch Eubank Jr. vs Benn 2 only on DAZN

Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn's much anticipated rematch is live and exclusive on DAZN PPV on Saturday, November 15. Buy for £24.99 UK / $59.99 US. 

For more information and to buy, click here.