Eubank to fight Benn in London in April

Chris Eubank Jr will fight Conor Benn in their long-awaited showdown in April in London, according to Saudi boxing organiser Turki Alalshikh.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a possible venue for the all-British fight which could take place on 26 April.

The bitter rivals were scheduled to meet in October 2022, which would have been 29 years after their revered fathers Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr fought for a second time.

However, the contest was called off after Conor Benn failed a voluntary drug test, which sparked a two-year battle with anti-doping authorities that culminated in his suspension being lifted last November.

Benn has posted a picture of himself signing a contract alongside his promoter Eddie Hearn and Alalshikh, who has organised some of the biggest fights in recent years as chairman of Saudi Arabia’s general entertainment authority.

Posting the same picture, Hearn wrote: “The biggest fight in British boxing has been made.”

In a post on X on Wednesday, Alalshikh wrote: “Eubank Jr vs Benn done in April, London.”

Eubank Jr has yet to confirm he has signed a contract.

The 35-year-old will be the favourite against 28-year-old Benn, who steps up from the welterweight limit of 10st 7lb (147lb) for the bout.

Benn has not fought in the UK since 2022, but he competed twice in the United States during his provisional suspension.

The Briton has always denied intentionally doping and will again be subject to Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) testing for the Eubank bout.

Eubank, who usually fights at middleweight, has one loss in his last nine outings but avenged that 2023 defeat to Liam Smith later that year.

Benn has not fought at an elite level but has an unbeaten record of 23 wins with 14 knockouts.

Analysis – a rivalry that stands on its own

Coral Barry, senior combat sports writer

Since October 2022, neither Benn nor Eubank has been able to escape the other.

Benn’s doping case has made boxing headlines for the last two years, with Eubank a willing participant in criticising his rival.

At stages, this fight has seemed very, very far away. Even when Benn’s provisional suspension was lifted in November, months went by without any announcement and with rumours flying that the camps could not agree on a purse split.

When the bout was first announced, the rivalry hinged on a kind of loyalty to their fathers. It would headline the O2 Arena in London, welcoming 20,000 fans.

Now they hope to bring in as many as 60,000 spectators to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The fight still has the legacy intrigue following their fathers’ famous fights, but with every comment, court case and insult over the last 25 months, it has become a rivalry that stands firmly on its own.