Chris Eubank Jr: British fighter fined for slapping rival Conor Benn with egg

Chris Eubank Jr. has been fined £100,000 for assaulting Conor Benn with an egg at a chaotic press conference last month. The incident garnered widespread attention and has been met with severe sanctions from the British Boxing Board of Control. The severity of the penalty reflects the seriousness with which the Board views such unprofessional conduct.

As the two fighters prepared for a routine face-off, Eubank pulled an egg from his pocket and struck his British opponent on the cheek with his left hand. Benn, who was standing with his father Nigel at the time, became enraged, and the two boxers were subsequently restrained by security personnel. This sudden event resulted in complete pandemonium at the venue, disrupting the promotional event.

The British Boxing Board of Control stated in a statement that the 35-year-old Eubank had violated Regulation 25 regarding misconduct. The incident occurred on February 25th in Manchester, as the two were promoting their upcoming fight scheduled for the following month at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Board deemed Eubank's behavior a serious breach of professional ethics, warranting the substantial fine.

Notably, the two were originally scheduled to fight in October 2022, but the bout was canceled after Benn failed a voluntary drug test. Benn subsequently engaged in a two-year battle with anti-doping authorities, ultimately having his ban lifted last November. Benn has consistently denied intentionally taking performance-enhancing drugs, and both boxers are currently undergoing testing by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada). An independent report released by the World Boxing Council (WBC) in February 2023 stated that the 28-year-old Benn's failed drug test was not intentional and may have been caused by "high egg consumption."

Eubank posted a video of the incident on social media, captioning it: "Apparently egg contamination is the reason he failed two drug tests. So I contaminated him with an egg." This statement further fueled the controversy surrounding the incident, drawing even more criticism and debate.