Chris Eubank Jnr went to the hospital after his unanimous decision win in an absolute war with Conor Benn on Saturday, and therefore wasn’t at the post-fight press conference.
Benn told media he’d heard Eubank suffered a broken jaw in the bout. Eubank’s promoter says that is not true.
“I’m pleased to confirm that Chris is doing well and currently resting. There is no truth to the rumours regarding a broken jaw,” Ben Shalom of Boxxer said in a statement posted on social media. “As part of his standard post-fight protocol, Chris went to hospital for precautionary checks to monitor his vitals and ensure everything is in order.
“They take these measures very seriously, given everything they have experienced in the past. This process is something they now prioritise after every fight.”
It was a grueling fight for both men, and additionally grueling beforehand for Eubank as he attempted to make weight.
The match was at the middleweight limit of 160lbs, which Eubank has competed at or around for much of his 13-year career, returning to the weight class a few years ago after a stint at super middleweight. Benn, meanwhile, was facing a potential size disadvantage; he is a former welterweight whose past few fights were at junior middleweight.
Footage released by Team Eubank showed the fighter’s efforts to try to make weight. However, he came in slightly over 160lbs and had to pay a sizable fine as a result. Eubank and Benn were also contractually limited in how much weight they could gain by the morning of the bout. Eubank arrived at the second-day weigh-in at 169.4lbs, under the limit of 170lbs. Benn came in comfortably below both day’s limits: 156.4lbs on Friday and 165lbs on Saturday morning.
Eubank and Benn dished out and took punishment over their 12-round battle. CompuBox stats showed Eubank landed 367 punches, including 227 power shots. Benn, meanwhile, was credited with landing 215 punches, including 180 power shots.
In their final sprint, Eubank threw a total of 335 punches in the final three rounds, while Benn threw 229.
All three judges awarded Eubank the victory by a 116-112 margin. And in the post-fight press conference, it was mentioned that a rematch clause would bring the two back for a sequel, possibly in September.
Promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing said Benn could consider other routes instead, such as returning to 147lbs and pursuing the titleholders there, including Mario Barrios, who owns the WBC belt.
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
