Conor Benn has performed a stunning U-turn after opening the door to a third meeting with long-time rival Chris Eubank Jr.
The pair engaged in a fierce rivalry which resulted in two fights last year. Eubank Jr would go on to edge the first contest in a real 'Fight of the Year' contender in front of over 60,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. But Benn dominated the rematch, scoring two knockdowns en route to a points win.
End of the saga?
At one apiece, many naturally assumed the two stars would meet for a third time. But Benn was quick to play down such talk immediately after the rematch. "It's been some journey, and I feel like this is the end of the Benn-Eubank saga," he said at the post-fight press conference. "It's done and finished. It's over. This ends here."
Eubank Jr later revealed he was dealing with several health issues in the build-up to the fight, as well as posting a worrying photo of himself lying in a hospital bed not long after the sequel. The Brit has since been taking some time away from the ring. Eubank Jr stated that the 160lb limit as well as the 10lb rehydration clause had cost him in the second encounter.
Benn open to 168lb showdown
The 36-year-old has been faced with calls to retire, but he has played down those claims and plans to fight on - but move up to super middleweight. And Benn is open to jumping up multiple weight classes to face his rival for a third time. "For me, the legacy fight was the Eubank fights. It was the fight that never happened with the Dads. It was the theatrics, it was drama, it was noise, it was chaos. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium twice. Come back and avenge the loss and the fight of the year. The whole thing was like a movie. Whereas this (Garcia fight) is very personal," he told DAZN.
He added: "The more I think about it, is the more I cannot have him talking 'oh, I was dehydrated. I was this. I was that.' Because we all know that's a lie behind the scenes. So, it's like, would I fight him at 168 just to shut him up? No problem. Of course I would The first fight... credit to him."
Return to the ring
"He was the only person who could have brought that fight out of me and it was really for the family name. It was for bragging rights. It was a family feud. It was the real life Rocky and Creed. It was a real life movie. The theatrics, the drama. But of course I would (do the trilogy). I am a fighter and I love a challenge."
Benn is due to return to 147lb for the first time in over four years when he takes on Ryan Garcia on Saturday night for the latter's WBC welterweight title. But regardless of the outcome, Benn revealed last month that he has no plan to continue at 147lb after his fight with Garcia, confirming his desire to move back up in weight. "Yeah, it's hard. It's brutal," he told Ring Magazine when discussing weight cut ahead of his return. "This is my last fight at 147. When I win the world title, I'll move on."
"But for me, I haven't made 147 for four years. So, it's challenging. It's really hard. You think I went up to 183 [fight night weight] for the Eubank fights, you know, so it's hard, but we're getting it done."
