Tyson Fury and Roy Jones Jr both have the same opinion of the upcoming clash between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn.
Eubank Jr and Benn will meet in a captivating ring showdown on April 26, a continuation of their father Chris and Nigel’s epic two-fight rivalry from 1990 and 1993.
The fight has had so many compelling narratives behind it, including the fact Benn will step up to middleweight to take on Eubank Jr in a dramatic weight switch.
‘Next Gen’ is deemed the marginal favourite to beat Benn, but many are finding the pair difficult to separate on paper.
But two influential figures in the sport have done exactly that, with former two-time heavyweight world champion Fury picking Eubank Jr to win given the fight will be at a weight he is more assured at.
He said: “It’s a weight category thing.
“If it’s 10.5 stone it’s going to be Conor Benn. If it’s at middleweight then probably Chris Eubank Jr.”
Roy Jones Jr, a boxing legend who has experience of moving up in weight having reigned as champion at super-middleweight and heavyweight, shared the same view.
He told talkSPORT: “It’s a very tough fight for Conor, I’m not going to say he can’t win it.
“But it’s going to be a rough one, to me his best chance is to land a big shot and it doesn’t hurt him, it’s rough.
“Chris is a much improved fighter, he has improved his foundations and made himself better.
“He’s going to really hard to beat for any guy, especially one that is smaller than him.
“But we saw Liam Smith do it, so I’m sure that gave Benn much more hope of doing the same.
“It’s going to be a great fight, but I think Chris will have the advantages as he is just bigger.”
Eubank Jr will fancy his chances at 160lbs, despite perhaps being likely to be lighter come fight night given the rehydration clause.
But he has a wealth of experience, whereas it will be ‘The Destroyer’s debut at 160lbs when climbing from 147lbs.
The pair were previously set to meet at 157lbs, a catchweight at which Eubank Jr faced significant concern.
But the fight was cancelled in 2022 after Benn failed a drugs test, which plunged the clash into chaos.
Now the fight is bigger than ever and tensions have risen increasingly, particularly given Eubank Jr egged his rival at a launch press conference.
And he believes he will hand his rival the beating that Fury and Jones Jr predicted.
“I pity him, what he stands for, what he is, what he’s done, and I pity the beating he’s going to have to endure on April 26,” he said.
“It’s been a build-up of animosity, of anger, of dislike, or rivalry. It’s been years and years, and now we finally get to get in that ring and settle the score, put it to bed.”
