Promoter Eddie Hearn spoke with a visible pride in Conor Benn after his fighter had gone punch-for-punch with arch rival Chris Eubank Jnr.

They shared a memorable bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and, post-fight, Hearn told the assembled media: “I think it’s fair to say we witnessed one of the greatest fights in British boxing history tonight. Both men showed incredible heart and desire. But the man to my right [Benn], for me… I just witnessed one of the great performances from a British fighter; 147-pound fighter [fighting at 160lbs] whether you like it or not, moved up and just never stopped trying to win the fight.”

Hearn, who has promoted Benn since his debut, has also stood by Benn through a torrid two-year period.

The heavily-hyped battle between the sons of British boxing icons was wildly-exciting. 

“I thought the fight could have gone either way,” said Hearn. “I know a lot of people thought he [Benn] won, a lot of people thought Eubank won, whatever. But I want to talk about the performance, the heart, the mentality and the never say die spirit from Conor Benn, because I can’t believe what I witnessed.”

Hearn said Benn was had, through his performance, become the people’s champion, something that seemed unlikely a couple of years ago when Benn and Eubank Jnr was supposed to first happened but was pulled after Benn failed two tests for Peds – something he has always strenuously denied.

“This kid is a great kid and he’s always been a great kid,” Hearn added, believing Benn had shown enough to indicate that he could win titles at 147lbs and 154lbs.

Hearn said there was a rematch clause – at 160lbs – between the two fighters, and that talk in the ring immediately included a possible date, as early as September, for them to fight again. 

But Hearn said his preference would be to look for titles at 147lbs, when Benn has strongly been linked to a fight with WBC champion Mario Barrios.

Hearn thanked Benn for his efforts, and felt the fight could have gone either way going into the last two rounds.

“I’m so proud of him,” said Hearn. “And it wasn’t that I didn’t think he could win. I didn’t think he could do that. I didn’t think he could stand and trade and exchange with a middleweight over 12 rounds and still just fire back, fire back, fire back.”

But that is what happened. 

Hearn said Benn would now have no problem selling out arenas in the UK, and that he could go on to become a “superstar in this sport.”

But Hearn was also aware of how gruelling the fight was, and that a return might not be in the 28-year-old’s best interests. He also maintained that, despite Eubank’s highly-publicized weight cut, it was Benn who faced the biggest danger, moving up to take on a bigger man.

“They’re the kind of fights that will shorten a career, and he’s got such a long career ahead of him,” said Hearn. “The terms are already agreed to move forward with the rematch and it’s the same as the first one. I think we got it spot on with the numbers.”