Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will be battling it out in an eagerly-awaited middleweight bout this weekend.
The British boxers are not just settling their own dispute – they are continuing a family rivalry going back decades.
But what exactly is the story between Eubank Jr and Benn and who’s on the undercard? Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the fight.
When is Eubank Jr vs Benn?
Eubank Jr and Benn will finally take to the ring as the main event on Saturday 26 April.
Their fight will be the third at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, after Oleksandr Usyk’s victory over Anthony Joshua in September 2021 and Tyson Fury’s win against Derek Chisora in December 2022.
The two fighters are expected to make their ring walks from 9.45pm UK time, but coverage on Sky Sports Box Office will start from 5pm.
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What to know about the fight
Eubank Jr, 35, is the more experienced of the pair, going into the fight with a record of 34-3 (25 KOs).
Benn, 28, has won all 23 of his professional fights, 14 by KO.
They will fight at a middleweight limit of 11st 6lbs, with the inclusion of a hydration clause meaning neither are able to add more than 10lbs in weight between Friday’s weigh-in and Saturday’s fight night.
Eubank Jr fought at 11st 5lb when he beat Kamil Szeremeta in October, while Benn is jumping up two weights from welterweight having come in at 10st 10lbs for his win over Peter Dobson in February 2024.
The stakes are high
While there are no titles up for grabs, Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, told Sky Sports that a shot at pound-for-pound great and super-middleweight king Canelo Alvarez would be on the line in Saturday’s fight.
And the World Boxing Council (WBC) has said it would back the winner on Saturday to take Alvarez on.
“It is a major event that has all the elements a fan can expect,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said of Eubank vs Benn.
“The rivalry between the parents which became a rivalry between the kids. Heated press conferences, social media… When the bell rings, it is going to be something for the memory of everyone and hopefully the fight comes up to the expectations.”
The ongoing Eubank and Benn feud
The fighters’ fathers fought twice in 1990 and 1993, with Eubank Sr clinching a ninth-round TKO victory against Nigel Benn in the pair’s first bout before the two fought to a draw three years later.
Image: Nigel Benn vs Chris Eubank at Old Trafford in 1993. Pic: Action Images/Reuters
But the sons have built a rivalry of their own over the past few years, despite not being able to bring it to the ring until now.
They were meant to fight on 8 October 2022 at the O2 Arena, but Benn failed two voluntary drug tests that resulted in the contest being cancelled just 48 hours before it was scheduled to take place.
Benn tested positive for the banned substance clomifene in two Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) tests, before having his licence removed by the British Boxing Board of Control.
Benn’s suspension was lifted in a ruling by the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) in July 2023, with the 28-year-old making his return to the ring that September in a unanimous decision win over Rodolfo Orozco in Orlando.
He went on to beat Peter Dobson by unanimous decision in Nevada in February 2024, before his suspension was reintroduced in May following an appeal from UKAD and the BBBoC.
His provisional suspension was eventually lifted in November 2024 after the NADP said it was “not comfortably satisfied” he had committed a doping offence.
Since the fight was delayed, the pair have had frequent spats in the media, the most high-profile of which came in February during a face-off at a press conference in Manchester.
Image: The moment Eubank Jr struck Benn with an egg. Pic: PA
Eubank Jr slapped Benn with an egg, leading the two fighters to be held back by security while Nigel Benn, the father of Conor, appeared to grab Eubank Jr by the throat.
The stunt was seemingly in relation to the WBC’s claim in early 2023 that a “highly-elevated consumption of eggs” was a “reasonable explanation” for Benn’s failed test.
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Eubank Jr subsequently posted on X: “Apparently egg contamination was the reason for his two failed drugs tests. So I contaminated him with an egg.”
Who is on the undercard?
Former WBO cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith will take on Brandon Glanton in a bid to reignite another world title charge after losing out to Gilberto Ramirez in their unification clash last November.
British light-heavyweight rivals Anthony Yarde and Lyndon Arthur will meet for a third time after boasting one victory apiece, Liam Smith takes on Aaron McKenna in his first fight since being stopped by Eubank Jr in their September 2023 rematch, and Viddal Riley and Cheavon Clarke face off on a defining night for their respective careers as rising cruiserweight contenders.
Here’s the full card:
Main event: Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn – middleweight
Anthony Yarde vs Lyndon Arthur 3 – light-heavyweight
Liam Smith vs Aaron McKenna – middleweight
Chris Billam-Smith vs Brandon Glanton – cruiserweight
Viddal Riley vs Cheavon Clarke – cruiserweight
What have the fighters said?
Benn didn’t hold back earlier this week as he told Sky Sports: “I hate what he [Eubank Jr] stands for. I hate who he is as a man, what he’s chasing.
“Just him as a man personally for reasons that aren’t public, personal reasons, between me and Chris that he’s fully aware of as to why I really dislike him.
“A fight’s a fight. Obviously there is interest with the history of our dads, us being our fathers’ sons, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
“But I think there’s a big personality clash, the controversy, the adversity, it sells. It doesn’t change the outcome of April 26 and what I’m going to do to him.”
He said his goal was to retire the 35-year-old.
Speaking during a face-off in London on Wednesday, his competitor was more focused on what would happen in the ring.
“I don’t do shenanigans. I do what I believe is right and I do what I want to do,” Eubank Jr noted. “I’m just being me.
“This fight isn’t about size or weight. It’s about skill. It’s about dedication. It’s about expertise. All those areas I excel in,” Eubank said.
“I’m a complete fighter, I’ve been doing this for so long now I’ve forgotten more things than he knows and that will show on the night.
“Everything will go how I want it to go.
“I will be like a matador in the ring and Conor Benn will be the bull.”
David Beckham is set to receive a knighthood in the King’s upcoming Birthday Honours list, Sky News understands.
The former England football captain was awarded an OBE in 2003, on the recommendation of then prime minister Tony Blair, but is now set to receive further recognition.
Beckham, who turned 50 in May, would take on the title of Sir and his wife, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, would become Lady Beckham, as first reported by The Sun.
It has been a long-held ambition of Beckham’s, and rumours abounded last year he may finally get the honour after he was announced as ambassador to the King’s Foundation.
Speculation then hit fever pitch in December last year when he attended a state banquet for the first time, alongside his wife.
The monarch was heard asking the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain star, “You got it, didn’t you?”
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Beckham responded: “It was incredible, thank you. It was very kind.”
The Queen was then heard telling him: “I’m glad you got the roses.”
Image: Beckham and Prince William at a football match in 2012. Pic: PA
Services to football and beyond
The footballing legend played 115 times for England before his retirement in 2013. He is the only Englishman to score at three different World Cups.
His career included the treble-winning campaign of 1998-99 – when Manchester United won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
Image: He famously equalised against Greece in the dying seconds of a World Cup qualifier in 2001. Pic: PA
He also played a key role in securing the London 2012 Olympics and has been an ambassador for UNICEF since 2005.
In 2015, the organisation launched the David Beckham UNICEF Fund.
Victoria Beckham received an OBE for services to the fashion industry in 2017.
Image: Beckham played a key role in securing the London 2012 Olympics. Pic: PA
Beckham’s ‘hacked’ honours emails
Beckham’s hopes of being rewarded for his Olympic efforts in the 2014 honours list were scuppered by an issue with his taxes. HM Revenue and Customs placed a red flag on his nomination due to his involvement in an alleged tax avoidance scheme, according to previous reports.
Image: Beckham received an OBE in 2003. Pic: PA
In 2017, details of the footballer’s leaked emails were printed in the national press, in which he appeared to criticise the honours system and committee.
A spokesperson for the footballer said at the time his emails were “hacked” and “doctored”.
Anything other than a win for Labour would have been a humiliation in this contest.
It wasn’t any old local by-election – this was a contest where Labour knew it could act as a mini barometer of Sir Keir Starmer’s recent U-turn on winter fuel payments and become a test of how popular the politics of Nigel Farage are in Scotland.
Labour are power hungry and have, for a long time, set their sights on forming the next Scottish government.
The prime minister will this morning be breathing a sigh of relief after clinching this shock victory over the SNP and Reform UK.
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New MSP’s message to Farage and ‘his mob’
This contest on the outskirts of Glasgow came at a time where Labour had been firefighting and grappling with polling suggesting they had blown their chances of ousting the SNP from power in Edinburgh after almost 20 years.
The SNP had a spring in their step during this campaign after a chaotic couple of years.
First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney had apparently stemmed the bleeding after the infamous police fraud investigation, endless fallout over gender identity reforms, and last year’s general election where they were almost wiped out.
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This result leaves them no further forward than 12 months ago with questions over the party’s strategy.
Image: SNP and Reform UK election billboard posters in Larkhall. Pic: PA
Reform UK is very much in the Scottish picture now, finishing a few hundred votes behind the nationalists.
This is a party led by a man who barely registered any support north of the border for many years. A remarkable transformation.
The surge in support has spooked many because they know fine well Nigel Farage is only just getting started.
One poll had Reform UK forming the next official opposition at Holyrood. After tonight, that might be a tall order but Mr Farage is shaking things up at the expense of the Conservatives.
The unpredictable nature of this contest may give us a taste of what is to come.
Andy Carter, senior winners’ adviser at Allwyn, said: “We are now on the verge of potentially creating the biggest National Lottery winner this country has ever seen.”
The previous largest prize pot was won by an anonymous UK ticket-holder, who took home £195m on 19 July 2022.
Just two months earlier, Joe and Jess Thwaite, from Gloucester, won £184,262,899 with a Lucky Dip ticket. At the time, Joe was a communications sales engineer, and Jess ran a hairdressing salon with her sister.
Mr Thwaite said he woke up at 5am as usual, and checked his phone to see an email saying, “Good news, you have won a prize”.
But he did not immediately wake his wife, choosing to let her sleep in.
“I saw how much and I didn’t know what to do,” Mr Thwaite said.
“I couldn’t go back to sleep, I didn’t want to wake Jess up, so I just laid there for what seemed like forever. I spent some time searching for property with no budget limit, which was a novelty!”
When his wife woke up, she assumed the National Lottery app was wrong.
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Winner ‘thought it was a scam’
In February last year, Richard and Debbie Nuttall were revealed as the UK winners of a £61m EuroMillions jackpot – who at first thought they had only won £2.60.
The couple from Lancashire split the £123m prize with a winner in Spain.
This year’s biggest prize, of £83m went to a UK winner in January.