The Debate: Who wins, Chris Eubank Jr or Conor Benn?

Our latest instalment of 'The Debate' sees boxing writers Shaun Brown and John MacDonald come to blows over who will reign supreme in Saturday's blockbuster all-British showdown between long-term adversaries Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn.

It's a fight years in the making, and one that will settle the age-long dispute of who is the better boxer, Chris Eubank Jr or Conor Benn.

The fighting sons of two of the greatest names to have ever graced the boxing stage, Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, will finally lock-horns in London on Saturday night in a bout that has captured the imagination of the nation.

But the big question is who will prevail?

Size matters in this fight and Chris Eubank Jr will make his advantage count, writes John MacDonald.

John MacDonald

Ten years ago, a dress went viral. To some, it was black and blue; to others, it was white and gold. Neither group could see the other’s perspective.

According to people far more intelligent than you or I, which combination you saw was determined by how you interpreted the background light.

Conor Benn is that dress personified.

In the eyes of his supporters, ‘The Destroyer’ is the fighter who stopped, former WBO super-lightweight champion, Chris Algieri when Manny Pacquiao went the distance with the American; the man who halted Chris Van Heerden in a quarter of the time it took Errol Spence to achieve the same feat; the prospect who dominated Adrian Granados after Adrian Broner had gone life-and-death with ‘Tigre’; the puncher that wiped out Samuel Vargas in the opening round, when Vergil Ortiz Jr. had taken seven frames to grind down the resolve of the Colombian.

Perhaps most importantly, they believe Benn is a clean fighter who had his career derailed as the result of a witch-hunt.

On the other hand, his detractors perceive the son of a legend as just another Nepo Baby, whose career has been nothing but smoke and mirrors.

They proclaim that the aforementioned foes were all finished by the time Benn faced them, pointing out that three of the four never fought again after losing to the Brit; they remember when ‘The Destroyer’ was dropped twice by Cedrick Peynaud; they note that his power only really existed for that four-fight streak and has not been seen either before, or after.

Pivotally, they state that the Essex man twice tested positive for a prohibited substance and has refused to reveal the circumstances which allowed him to resume boxing in Britain.

Both are true, it depends on your interpretation of the background.

For me, the latter carries more weight than the former.

Yes, Chris Eubank Jr. has dined out on his famous last name. No, he has never beaten anyone truly elite, either. However, ‘Next Gen’ is the more proven quantity.

The Brighton man displayed genuine quality in a losing effort against Billy Joe Saunders; he also had credible wins over Dmitry Chudinov, Arthur Abraham, Matvey Korobov, Liam Smith and, at a stretch, the ghost of James DeGale.

The biggest mark against the 35-year-old is that he may be tight at the 160lbs limit and that his troubles may be exacerbated by a rehydration clause.

On balance, I still believe he is a better bet than his rival who has question marks surrounding: his power, his chin, his technical ability and experience.

Make no mistake, this is a curiosity fight. We have seen them before: Errol Spence against Mikey Garcia, Gennadiy Golovkin versus Kell Brook and Vasiliy Lomachenko taking on Guillermo Rigondeaux. In each case the naturally bigger man won.

Regardless of what you tell yourself; size matters.

It's a tall order for Conor Benn, but the raging fire inside of him will propel him to victory, writes Shaun Brown.

Shaun Brown

Making a case for Conor Benn to outshine Chris Eubank Jr this weekend is difficult, truth be told, especially when the cold, hard facts stack up against him...

• He's has never faced world-class opposition.
• He’s never headlined a spectacle of this magnitude.
• He’s stepping into a weight class he’s yet to conquer.
• He hasn’t laced up gloves since February 2024.
• He’s still dodging shadows from his 2022 doping scandal.

This list could stretch longer than a Tottenham Hotspur season ticket queue, painting Eubank as a striker needing only to slot home a penalty to cement a legacy-defining victory. But boxing, dear reader, isn’t a game of tick-boxes or a tidy spreadsheet. It’s a cauldron of chaos, pride, and sheer bloody-mindedness - which is where Benn’s path to glory emerges.

The Benn-Eubank rivalry is British boxing’s crown jewel, a feud so storied it makes the Hatfields and McCoys look like a polite disagreement over tea.

Conor Benn carries not just his own dreams but the weight of his father Nigel’s legacy, his family’s honour, and a reputation battered by controversy. Harness that fire, and you’ve got a burning cocktail of motivation ready to explode in North London.

Don’t expect Benn to charge out like his old man, swinging haymakers with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Trainer Tony Sims, a man who could coach a tortoise to outrun a hare, won’t let recklessness ruin this non-title blockbuster.

Instead, Benn’s edge lies in his mindset, speed, youth, footwork, and an unyielding hunger to win.

Crucially, unlike Chris Eubank Jr, he’s not coasting toward retirement’s sunset, nor does he suffer from his rival’s fatal flaw: laziness. Junior's career is littered with moments of showboating - strutting for the cameras like a peacock in boxing gloves - followed by spells of doing nothing. It’s like dangling a juicy steak in front of a starving wolf like Benn, who’s ready to pounce on any lapse.

This fight is Benn’s everything and more! Defeat isn’t just a loss; it would cut through his soul, sharper than any of Nigel’s knockout blows.

He’ll dig deeper, push harder, and bite down on his gum-shield like it’s the last line of defence in a personal crusade.

What of those two years lost to the doping saga? They’re fuel for a comeback that could light up our great English capital.

Eubank Jr, meanwhile, fights with the smug assurance of a man who knows a fat payday and a ready excuse await him, win or lose. A luxurious island holiday and a few million quid will soften any blow for the Brighton & Hove man.

In the end, this fight won't hinge on technique but on something rawer, hunger!

Benn’s appetite for destruction dwarfs Eubank’s, his need to silence doubters unmatched, and his drive to carry the Benn name out of Tottenham as a victor is the fiercest force in the ring.

Sure, he might be a “Nepo Baby” who’s never wanted for much, but right now, he’s a man with everything to lose.

Eubank Jr can shrug off a defeat, his ego cushioned by cash and excuses, but for Benn, losing is unthinkable, and that fire will see his hand raised on Saturday night, as he roars back from exile to claim the greatest moment of his career.