LONDON: Chris Eubank Jr has opened up about the reasons behind his disappointing performance against Conor Benn in their highly anticipated rematch, admitting he was battling major personal issues throughout training camp.
Benn delivered one of the best performances of his career on Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, outclassing Eubank Jr across 12 rounds and sealing a unanimous decision victory, including two knockdowns in the final round, to avenge his close defeat from April.
Their first encounter ended with Eubank Jr edging a narrow win via 116-112 on all three scorecards, but the rematch saw a different story as Benn controlled the pace, showcased sharper movement, and dominated exchanges from start to finish.
Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Eubank Jr revealed he had endured significant hardship leading up to the bout:
“I’ve been through hell and back to make it here today,” he admitted.
“I genuinely thought that regardless of the issues I’ve been dealing with, I could still get in there, use my boxing skills, and win like I did in the first fight. But from the first round, I realised I was mistaken.”
Despite struggling, he refused to make excuses and praised Benn’s performance:
“I tried my best. Conor Benn put on a hell of a fight. He had a great performance and did everything asked of him. I congratulate him.”
Promoter Ben Shalom attempted to offer context by hinting at the depth of Eubank Jr’s struggles, stating he did “incredibly well just to make it into the ring.”
However, Eubank Jr quickly stopped him, insisting his private challenges should not be shared publicly.
The boxer did not reveal the exact nature of the issues, leaving fans and analysts speculating about his future and comeback plans.
