Eddie Hearn has threatened to sue Chris Eubank Jr, after the boxer fired the first shots during a press conference ahead of his rematch with Conor Benn by accusing his opponent’s team of dirty tricks and “sabotage”.
Eubank Jr, who won their first bout by unanimous decision in April, claimed an ambulance taking him to hospital afterwards was stopped – and appeared to point the finger at Benn’s promoters, Matchroom Boxing.
The claim was met with derision by Matchroom chairman Hearn, who said “I’ve never heard so much waffle” and later threatened to take legal action against Eubank Jr for his comments. The press conference stoked hostilities before the two men meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on 15 November.
“They did everything they could to try and destroy me in that last fight,” said Eubank Jr of Benn’s promoters. “Contract breaches, fines, rehydration clauses, a sabotaged weigh-in, biased commentary and refereeing. The list goes on.
“On fight night they blocked my team from coming to the stadium for 30 minutes. Then when I arrived, security were in front of my car trying to slow me down and make me late. It’s incredible the levels these guys will stoop to,” continued Eubank Jr.
“I finally get into the stadium. I get into my changing room and they are sending idiots to try and disrupt me. I get through that. I go out there and I win the fight. Now, after the fight, due to severe dehydration I am in an ambulance and I have to go to hospital.
“I was so dehydrated that one of the toenails on my big toe fell off,” the 35-year-old added. “I’m in this ambulance and these scumbags blocked that ambulance from leaving the stadium for 20 minutes.”
“I’m laying there on a gurney, oxygen mask on and they wouldn’t open the gate to let us leave,” Eubank Jr claimed.
Speaking to the media after the press conference, Hearn threatened to sue Eubank Jr unless he retracted the comments and apologised. “What he doesn’t know, there is a log on fight night for the paramedics, it’s there in black and white,” Hearn said.
“He [Eubank Jr] will be making an apology, or we’ll be taking legal action, I can’t have this. I take this personally. That’s my life, our reputation is second to none … making up shit like that.
“An apology shouldn’t be enough, but that’s not my style,” Hearn added. “Some would go for the jugular right now but he won’t apologise, he’s arrogant.”
It is the latest in a long-running family feud, which began 35 years ago when fathers Chris Eubank Snr and Nigel Benn fought in two epic encounters, and shows no signs of thawing.
Benn, accompanied by Nigel, wore a Manchester City shirt in memory of Ricky Hatton, who was found dead at his home on Sunday, aged 46. There was also a montage paying tribute to the former world champion, who Benn described as his “hero”.
“He was somebody who really helped me in my career but also somebody who took me in, like a father figure would,” Benn said of Hatton. “He made me feel at home when I didn’t have a home. He meant a lot to me … He was somebody I admired as a man, he was my hero.”
Benn said after the defeat to Eubank Jr in April that is was “always hard processing a loss” “It taught me a lot and we are going back to the drawing board. Experience was gained and you are going to get a better version of me.”
The rematch, billed as “Unfinished Business”, was originally due to take place in September but Eubank Jr claimed he would not be ready for that date. He will have Terence Crawford’s trainer, Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, in his corner for the non-title middleweight rematch.
McIntyre helped Crawford become undisputed super middleweight champion by beating Saul “Canelo” Álvarez in Las Vegas on Saturday. McIntyre attended the press conference on Wednesday, saying he was “happy to be part of a historic fight.”
“I believe it’s going to be a little bit easier this time. For the simple fact, he already got his number,” McIntyre added. Benn replied with a dismissive quip: “I’m flattered that you brought a new trainer in, because you know you’re going to need it.”
