Chris Eubank Jr has disclosed that he underwent surgery on a damaged eye following his victory over Conor Benn, attributing the injury to a headbutt during the fight. The 35-year-old spent two nights in hospital after the bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Eubank Jr refuted claims from Benn and promoter Eddie Hearn that he had suffered a broken jaw. 'I got head-butted above my eye around the middle of the fight. It opened up and I had to go and have surgery on that to sew it up. There’s no broken jaw here,' he said.
Eubank Jr's promoter, Ben Shalom, had earlier stated that the hospital visit was for precautionary checks. The fighter confirmed he is recovering well and expressed gratitude for the positive reception of the fight.
Regarding his next move, Eubank Jr left the door open for a rematch with Benn in September or a potential showdown with Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Álvarez. 'Watch this space,' he said of a Benn rematch. 'If the rematch is meant to be it will be. If not, there’s plenty of amazing fights.'
On facing Álvarez, who defends his world super-middleweight titles on Saturday, Eubank Jr said: 'That is another stadium filler, absolutely. Wembley, Tottenham, any one of the large football stadiums in the UK will be filled for a fight like that.'
The fight also marked a reunion with his father, Chris Eubank Sr, who had previously criticised the matchup. Eubank Sr described emerging from his son's car before the fight as 'a moment of a lifetime.'
