Benn v Eubank: Chris Eubank Jr slaps Conor Benn with egg during face-off

At an extraordinary press conference held in Manchester, Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn engaged in a heated clash, with Eubank attacking Benn's face with an egg during a face-to-face encounter. The two British boxers are scheduled to fight on April 26 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but at the press conference, they behaved like wayward children, hurling insults at each other, and the scene spiraled out of control.

The atmosphere at the press conference was tense, with the air thick with anticipation in the Manchester Central auditorium before the mandatory face-off. The two men stood close to each other, exchanging heated words. Then, Eubank pulled an egg from his pocket and smashed it against Benn's cheek with his left hand, an act that thoroughly enraged Benn.

Benn was already highly emotional, with his father, Nigel Benn, by his side. After the egg attack, Benn completely lost control, and security personnel forcibly separated the two boxers. Eubank later posted a video of the incident on social media, captioning it that Benn's two previous failed drug tests were due to egg contamination, so he was "contaminating" Benn with an egg.

Previously, the fight between the two, originally scheduled for October 2022, was canceled due to Benn failing a voluntary drug test. Benn fought a two-year battle with anti-doping agencies as a result, until his suspension was lifted last November. Benn has consistently denied intentionally taking performance-enhancing drugs. An independent report released by the World Boxing Council (WBC) in February 2023 stated that Benn's failed drug test was not intentional and may have been due to "high egg consumption."

At the press conference, both sides belittled each other's records. Eubank complained about the unfairness of the dehydration clause, which stipulated that his weight on the night of the fight could not exceed the middleweight limit by more than 10 pounds. Benn, on the other hand, stated that he would "knock Eubank unconscious." The 28-year-old Benn currently holds a record of 23 wins and no losses, with 14 wins by knockout. The 35-year-old Eubank has been a professional for over 13 years, with 34 wins, and has fought former world champions such as Billy Joe Saunders, George Groves, and Liam Smith. Eubank stated that he would surpass Benn in every aspect.

Eubank and Benn are continuing a family feud, as their fathers had their second showdown 32 years ago. However, Eubank's father, Eubank Sr., did not attend this press conference and seemed unwilling to participate in the promotion of the fight. Benn stated that Eubank's father doesn't even like him. Amid the ongoing war of words, Nigel Benn and Eubank's team, including promoter Ben Shalom, remained silent. But Eubank specifically targeted Benn's promoter, Eddie Hearn, who refused to back down. Eubank stated that this was not Eddie Hearn's personal show, and every time Hearn spoke, Eubank would interrupt him, leading to a stalemate.

Manchester Central is usually used for corporate events, but this press conference was full of drama. The showdown between Benn and Eubank is a continuation of bloodlines and has evolved into genuine animosity. Putting these two volatile British men in the same room made a conflict highly likely. Before the press conference, when asked by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) about his opinion of his opponent, Benn did not hesitate to answer: "Idiot."

People had expected some pushing or some excessive insults, but Eubank's behavior caught everyone off guard. The boxers are scheduled to face off again on Thursday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The security company used by the organizers may need to increase its manpower.