Chris Eubank Jr has compensated the fighters who were meant to box on the undercard of his bout with Conor Benn in 2022 before it was cancelled.
The fight fell apart on short notice upon the revelation that Benn had returned two adverse drug-test findings, leading him to be banned from boxing in Britain until recently.
When the 28-year-old was finally cleared, his match-up with Eubank Jr, 35, was quickly rebooked, with the two born-rivals set to clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26.
Eubank Jr took to Instagram to show proof of payment to 10 fighters from the original fightcard who missed out on a payday.
He wrote: “After my first scheduled bout with Conor Benn got cancelled… Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing never compensated anyone for their training camps, which never sat well with me.
“So here’s a little something to help out the undercard fighters that were left out of pocket.
“Few boxers didn’t want to give me their bank details… maybe they will now.”
The Independent have reached out to Matchroom Boxing for a comment.
Former WBA world women’s bantamweight champion Shannon Courtenay, who was set to fight on the undercard, replied “man of his word – thank you” to Eubank Jr’s post.
The fierce rivalry between Eubank Jr and Benn will come to a head in just over a week, more than three decades after their fathers Chris Sr and Nigel Benn settled their own bitter grudge.
The build has been heated to say the least, with a press conference in February ending in chaos, as Eubank Jr slapped Benn in the face with an egg. It was a reference to the WBC saying in 2023 that “elevated consumption of eggs” was a “reasonable excuse” for Benn’s adverse drug-test findings.
Another press conference, two days later, saw Eubank Jr threaten Nigel Benn, who put his hands around the younger man’s neck in the week’s earlier chaos.
Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing
Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime.
See Schedule
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Enjoy 185+ fights a year on DAZN, the Global Home of Boxing
Never miss a fight from top promoters. Watch on your devices anywhere, anytime.
See Schedule
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
More carnage is expected to ensue on fight week as the pair engage in their final press conference before weighing in.
The main card will start at 5pm BST on Saturday 26 April, with main-event ring walks for the headliner expected at around 10.30pm BST.
Read the full article here
