In Manchester, England, tensions flared when Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn engaged in a heated face-off on Tuesday to promote their upcoming fight scheduled for April 26. The intense encounter reached a climax as Eubank Jr. stunned observers by smashing an egg into Benn’s face, a move symbolic of their ongoing feud.
This surprising act by Eubank Jr. was clearly aimed at highlighting Benn’s past controversy regarding a failed doping test. The British boxer had previously found himself under scrutiny when his explanation for elevated testosterone levels pointed to excessive egg consumption, which he claimed led to an unintended spike.
This confrontation brings back memories of the intense rivalry between their fathers, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, who set the stage with their legendary bouts over three decades ago in Britain.
Following the press conference, the situation escalated as Eubank Jr., pulling an egg from his pocket, slapped it onto Benn’s face. Security had to intervene quickly to prevent the situation from worsening as both fighters seemed ready to retaliate.
Scheduled to compete at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a middleweight match, both boxers later expressed their views on the incident through social media platforms. Conor Benn, aged 28, confidently asserted that this would be the only hit Eubank Jr. would land on him, promising to finish their fight within two rounds.
On the other hand, the 35-year-old Eubank Jr. took the opportunity to mock the explanation behind Benn’s past drug test failures, joking about contaminating him with an egg, complete with an image captioned “Eggcellent.”
Eddie Hearn, who promotes Benn, condemned Eubank Jr.’s actions, declaring them “unacceptable.” He commented on the spectacle, acknowledging its potential viral impact, yet expressing concern over the deeply personal stakes involved in the matchup, suggesting tensions could rise to dangerous levels backstage.
The disruption has cast doubts over a second press conference that was tentatively set for Thursday at Tottenham, according to Hearn.
The storyline’s past dates back to when Benn and Eubank Jr. were set to clash in a catchweight bout at London’s O2 Arena in October 2022. However, that encounter was postponed after Benn’s voluntary urine sample revealed traces of Clomiphene— known to boost testosterone and burn fat, and subsequently banned.
Benn, currently boasting a 23-0 record, fought vigorously to clear his name, eventually prompting the suspension’s lift in November of last year. By February 2023, the World Boxing Council (WBC) exonerated Benn from allegations of intentional doping, validating his claim that excessive egg consumption was behind the failed test.
In their statement, the WBC detailed Benn’s significant intake of eggs during the relevant period, considering it a plausible cause for the test results. They concluded there was no decisive proof suggesting Benn knowingly ingested the banned substance deliberately.
