Chris Eubank Jr has refused to rule out retirement after suffering a comprehensive defeat to Conor Benn in their highly anticipated rematch, while revealing he had been through 'hell and back' in the build-up to Saturday's fight.
A Dramatic Role Reversal
The tables turned completely in this fourth instalment of the famous family rivalry, with Eubank Jr appearing a shadow of the fighter who had dominated their classic encounter back in April. The 35-year-old Brighton boxer was unable to handle Benn's superior speed and ferocity throughout the contest.
Eubank Jr, who now holds a professional record of 36 wins and 4 defeats, with 25 knockouts, had previously defeated Benn by unanimous decision in their first meeting. However, this time Benn secured victory by a wide margin on the judges' scorecards, ending the long-standing family feud that had spanned decades.
Eubank's Struggle Revealed
In a revealing post-fight interview, Eubank Jr admitted: "I've been through hell and back to make it here." Despite his struggles before the fight, he genuinely believed he could replicate his previous success against Benn.
"From that first round, I realised that I was mistaken, but it's OK," Eubank Jr conceded. "I'm a fighter and this is what I do. Regardless of the dangers and the risk, we go to war and that's what we do."
The Brighton fighter demonstrated his resilience when he twice picked himself up from the canvas in the dramatic twelfth round, though he was clearly outmatched throughout the contest.
Future Uncertain for Eubank
When questioned about potential retirement, Eubank Jr remained non-committal, stating: "We're not talking about that right now. This is not about me. This night is about Conor."
He acknowledged Benn's superior performance, saying: "I tried hard, but it wasn't there and Conor was strong, was fast and he was tough. Yeah, congratulations to him."
Promoter Ben Shalom provided some insight into Eubank Jr's difficult preparation, revealing before being cut off by the fighter: "All I want to say is what Chris went through in camp, he won't want to talk about it, but the things I saw, he did incredibly well to get in the ring tonight."
Eubank Jr confirmed he needs time to "heal and deal with what I am dealing with" before considering his future in the sport, while Benn has already declared the "saga was over", ruling out any possibility of a trilogy fight between the two British boxing stars.
