“This rematch falling apart had nothing to do with me,” said a frustrated Conor Benn as his chance of exacting revenge against Chris Eubank Jr. seemed to be slipping away. Honestly, has any of their planned meeting gone according to plan? Firstly, we had to wait for almost two years for them to collide in the ring, where the IBO Middleweight champion emerged victorious.
And just as the world was strapping in for the rematch, news broke that it’s off the table. Sources revealed hours ago that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, The Ring, and SELA have pulled their support for the bout, citing delays from Chris Eubank Jr.’s team in finalizing the fight. Though Conor Benn backed the reports, fans held out for official word. Now that confirmation has arrived as well.
HE Turki Alalshikh won’t compromise his schedule
A few hours after the reports went viral, HE Alalshikh sat down with the ThaBoxingVoice podcast for a quick chat. During the interview, the host, Nestor Gibbs, asked him about the Benn-Eubank rematch, earlier confirmed for September 20, and whether the fight is off. “We stuck to date, we closed the date. We know that’s in that schedule, the fights must happen. If someone not commenting this, this is not our job, we are not charity,” the GEA chairman stated bluntly. Well, in simple words, the Saudi Royal clarified that he was not onboard with delays from Chris Eubank Jr.’s camp. With the fight set for the planned date, ‘The Next Gen’ still hasn’t signed the contract, making the September 20th showdown appear increasingly unlikely. And while we know the reason now, the question still remains: Why is Eubank Jr. not penning down the deal?
26th April 2025 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England Fatal Fury Middleweight Boxing, Chris Eubank Jr versus Conor Benn Chris Eubank Jr throws a right hand upper cut at Conor Benn PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK ActionPlus12779717 HenningxVonxJagow
Well, as it turns out, the 35-year-old is used to fighting in higher weight classes. With the 10 lbs rehydration clause in place, Eubank Jr came in slightly overweight during the first fight weigh-in. And despite making the stipulated 170 lbs on fight night, he had to pay $500,000 fine.
Furthermore, the weight cut was so extreme that the son of boxing legend Chris Eubank was rushed to the hospital immediately after the win due to dehydration. According to the reports, the delay in confirming the rematch is due to the same weight-cut issues. However, the Saudi Royal does not care. He knows he has no shortage of fighters desperate to get that Riyadh Season rub. So, he would rather give that opportunity to someone else. “We have a lot of people on the line waiting for the opportunity. We will go with people who think and understand what we are doing for them,” he explained, assuring everyone that a worthy replacement will be announced pretty soon.
And just like that, the rematch is all but dead unless a dramatic shift happens soon. It’s arguably a smart move for the IBO middleweight champion, who can now focus entirely on the potential blockbuster with Canelo Alvarez in 2026. But what’s next for Conor Benn? Well, we don’t need to worry as a blockbuster clash might be on the cards.
Conor Benn eyeing a lightweight champion
Recently, ‘The Destroyer’s’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, clarified to Boxing News that if the Eubank rematch stays in limbo, they might have to look at other options. “If Eubank messes around, if his bum goes for the fire, then we’ve got to look at other options,” he said.
To make the search easier, a few days later, Benn appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show alongside WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson after the ‘Ring III’ event. The pair got into a heated argument where the Briton mocked Stevenson for his unwatchable fights before the William Zepeda clash. The verbal clash later became a call-out, and seemingly, both are down for it.
“Honestly, we can do that next. I’m not one of them fighters that sit there and talk about it and go, ‘Listen, let’s just do it for the media.’ Let’s do it next. We can do it in London.” Benn said, calling out Stevenson. Expectedly, the 28-year-old didn’t hold back, replying with, “I’m down,” accepting the challenge. For Eddie Hearn, this bout feels like a clear win, offering a shot to redeem his fighter after the Eubank defeat. It’ll also help keep the WBC lightweight champion tied to Hearn’s Matchroom boxing since the last fight on their deal is now done.
With the Chris Eubank Jr. fight scrapped, there’s no better substitute on the horizon. What do you think?
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