Remember Remember that Night in November
By Dáire McConville
It truly was a night to remember in North London as the Tottenham Hotspurs stadium opened its gates to 65,000 hungry spectators in anticipation of what was set to be a fierce battle between two highflyers in the sport of boxing, Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn. This clash was as personal as it was professional, with the intense hostility between the boxers stemming from the historic feud between their fathers. This fight had started long before both men entered the ring, and the emotional event certainly was one for the history books.
A family feud that goes back decades, ignited almost 35 years to the exact date of the fight between their sons last weekend as Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank took to the ring on the 18th of November 1990. The intense rivalry established between the pair was enough to bring out masses of crowds and fans all those years ago. The pair fought twice, once in 1990 that would see Eubank come out on top obtaining the WBO middleweight championship, and a second time in 1993 that would end in a frustrating and rare draw for the pair. The fierce feud between their fathers was passed down to the next generation, with Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. now seeking to settle the score for themselves.
Having previously battled it out earlier in the year to become the IBO middle weight champion, April saw a spring filled Tottenham stadium to witness the ‘Fatal Fury’. Nearly three years after the fight was first speculated, delayed due to the British Boxing Board of Control banning Benn from fighting following his positive test for clomifene, the London boxer returned in September 2023 after 525 days out of the ring, the fight was well and truly back on. Outbursts of melodramatic behaviour prior to the fight were replaced by heavy punches and intense exchanges in the ring. The physical and dramatic bout spanned the entire 12 round distance, but it was Eubank Jr who had his hand raised via unanimous decision.
Despite the second fight having no official title, it was the pressure and tense rivalry that brought out many famous faces to witness the historical bout. Pierce Brosnan, Jason Statham, and Spice Girl Emma Bunton brought a touch of glamour to the North London stadium sitting ringside, ready for the action. The atmosphere on fight night was electric, as Benn entered the ring to the Fugees ‘Ready or not’, with a percussion troop and choir following him to the blue corner of the ring. The energy shifted when Eubank Jr. made his way to the ring, with 50 Cent performing “Many Men” live to accompany the boxer’s entrance to the red corner, sending the audience into a frenzy. The energy of the night, the music, and the stars combined turned the arena into a battleground.
It was Belfast’s very own boxing legend, Carl Frampton, who voiced the commentary of the second instalment of another 12-round fight that would see Conor Benn put on a dominant performance to earn revenge over bitter rival Chris Eubank Jr and seal a unanimous decision of victory in their rematch. In every possible opportunity to win over his opponent, Benn displayed some of the best boxing in his 9-year professional career. Benn dominated the bout, landing 173 punches compared to Eubank’s 68, including an impressive 92 power punches. He connected with 41% of his total shots, while Eubank could only manage 32 power punches, landing just 19% of his attempts. It was a significantly weaker performance from the fighter who had been favoured going into the match.
Ben began the contest on the front foot, finding a home for his strong right hand multiple times, building up stamina and maintaining it, with Eubank looking lethargic and lacklustre during the entire fight, hesitating on many of his attempts to land hits. As they prepared to enter the 12th round, Eubanks only hope at this stage was a Conor Benn knock out, however this almost went the other way about. As the bell rang to signal the intermission between round 11 and round 12, Benn turned to his corner, asking what round it was, unaware that he was just three minutes away from making history. The final round saw Eubank Jr. floored once, and then again just seconds later, yet he somehow managed to survive until the final bell. This time round it was Conor Benns arm that was raised as the judges scored 119-107, 116-110 and 118-108 in the Londoners favour, with the commentator stating, ‘by 12, by 10, by 6, it can be whatever you want he’s won.’
Hunger is a force that’s hard to compete with in any sport, and even more so when fuelled by a 35-year family feud. A hunger that stemmed from a defeat in April, it was sheer perseverance and determination that would end this boxing series in a draw. Reflecting on his performance Benn declared ‘’This is the end of the Benn-Eubank saga, over. Everyone that says I can’t box- put that in your pipe and smoke it.” and in a nice touch he acknowledged the history between both family names ‘’This wouldn’t have been what it was without Chris. Our dads, most of all. This is generational, never been done before in history. Credit to Chris, thank you for sharing the ring with me.”
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