(Reuters) – British boxers Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will square off in a highly-anticipated bout at London’s O2 Arena on Oct. 8, three decades after their famous fathers fought each other.
Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn were bitter rivals in the 1990s and the two former super-middleweight world champions fought twice – Eubank winning the first bout in 1990 before a split decision draw three years later.
Eubank Jr. (32-2, 23 knockouts) has fought at middleweight and super-middleweight while Benn (21-0, 14 knockouts) boxes at welterweight so their meeting will be at a catchweight of 156 pounds.
“He has walked the same path as I have,” Eubank Jr. said in a statement released by boxing promotion Matchroom. “I know his struggle. Living in the shadow of a legend and trying to break out of that shadow and make his own name.
“In terms of anticipation, legacy and hype, it’s the biggest fight of my career.”
Conor Benn said the clash was an opportunity he could not pass up.
“My team and I had other options on the table as I’m ranked top five with all governing bodies at welterweight and no doubt I’m looking for a world championship fight very soon,” he said.
“But this fight is embedded with so much history and I know it’s one the public really want to see. To me this fight is personal – it’s more than titles and rankings, this is unfinished business between our families.”
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
