Eubank Jr accuses Benn team of sabotage at rematch press conference as fight set for November

Chris Eubank Jr. accused Conor Benn and promoter Eddie Hearn of attempting to sabotage him ahead of their November rematch, as the bitter British rivals confronted each other at a news conference promoting the fight. Eubank retrieved a long list of grievances, telling the room that Benn’s team had “done everything they could to try and destroy me in this last fight” and naming contract breaches, fines, rehydration clauses and a staged weigh-in as examples. He added Benn’s side had meddled with his weight cut and branded them “ruthless” and “without restraint.”

Hearn dismissed the allegations as false and urged fans to judge the bout on what happens inside the ring, telling Eubank to stop playing the victim in his own performance of grievance. “You are playing the victim,” Hearn shot back, a line that underscored the entrenched feud that has followed the pair since their first encounter. The news conference marked the first time the rivals had shared a stage since their April bout, a fight that ended with Eubank Jr. defeating Benn on all three judges’ scorecards. Eubank, who has openly described the punishment of the night, was admitted to hospital after the win and said he lost a toenail to what he described as severe dehydration.

The pair’s back-and-forth at the podium spilled into the press conference’s main stage, but Benn avoided direct rebuttals to most of Eubank’s accusations and allowed his promoter to handle most of the messaging. Benn did offer a brief snapshot of his mindset heading into the rematch, saying he intends to be less “greedy” and to show a different facet of his approach. “It felt like I was one punch away from winning, but I was always looking for the one punch,” Benn acknowledged, signaling a potential shift in tactics for the rematch.

The rematch is set for November as Benn looks to avenge the points defeat that closed the first chapter of their rivalry. The original fight, staged before a hooping crowd at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, drew significant attention to a clash of two sons of boxing legends—Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn—who had been part of a public feud long before stepping into the ring. The first bout drew a sense of inevitability about a sequel, something both sides appear keen to recapture for a boxing market hungry for a high-stakes showcase.

Before the arguments began, there was a poignant moment of respect. Hatton’s shadow hung over the event as Benn wore a Manchester City shirt in tribute to the late two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton, who died at age 46. Benn told BBC Radio 5 Live that Hatton was his hero and a father figure, describing the impact Hatton had on his career and his sense of home when he lacked one. “Hatton was my hero. I can’t really process it,” Benn said. “He was somebody who helped me in my career and took me in.” The tribute underscored the close-knit, almost familial stakes that accompany this rivalry, one that has been defined as much by personal history as by the ring results.

The atmosphere around the rematch has been shaped by a history of dramatic moments outside the ring, including an earlier incident involving Benn’s team that prompted security to be on standby during posturing and face-offs. The latest press conference, however, concluded with the two men maintaining a cordial posturing after a week of loud exchanges, with Benn’s camp signaling a more measured push toward the rematch while acknowledging the persistent heat that has followed them since their first meeting. The event’s emotional moments, from the Hatton tribute to the heat of the accusations, have served to keep the series in the public eye as both camps prepare for a night that could redefine their careers in November.

As the November date approaches, both sides will be mindful of the lessons learned from the April fight and the media sprint that preceded the rematch. Eubank’s insistence on casting Benn’s team as saboteurs will be weighed against Benn’s pragmatism and willingness to address the boxing match’s practicalities, including strategy, conditioning, and the weight-cut process that once fueled debate about fairness and preparation. The rematch promises to emphasize the dramatic arc of a story that has grown beyond the two men in the ring to become a symbol of intergenerational boxing rivalry in Britain. With the atmosphere charged by both personal history and professional ambition, observers will be watching for how each camp translates these tensions into performance on fight night, and whether the result will deliver the redemption Benn seeks or extend Eubank’s hold over the series.