Chris Eubank Jr gave a chilling speech at the Conor Benn fight press conference after his father labelled him a ‘disgrace’.
Eubank Jr has had a rift with his father in recent years, and hasn’t spoken to him during the build-up to his huge showdown with Conor Benn this weekend.
His dad has spoken publicly about the fight, calling his son a ‘disgrace’ during a series of interviews.
Eubank Sr even called for his son to be stripped of his boxing licence prior to facing Benn, and wants to replace him with his cousin Harlem.
‘Next Gen’ will move forward with the fight nonetheless, and his father isn’t expected to attend in North London tomorrow night.
But when asked about his weight struggles, he compared them to the comments made by his father.
“The weight is painful, I’m in pain right now. I’ll be in even more pain tonight and tomorrow morning,” he said.
“But the question I ask myself is, ‘What is pain?’
“My own father, a man I idolised for my entire life, doesn’t speak to me.
“We haven’t spoken for years. He thinks I’m a disgrace. These things are what pain is to me.”
As his brave speech continued, Eubank Jr spoke about the heartbreaking passing of his brother Sebastian, and his role with nephew Raheem.
He continued: “I have a 31-year-old brother, he is buried in the desert in Dubai. That’s pain.
“I have his son Raheem, three years old, he asks: ‘Why can’t I see my daddy, why can’t he take me to school?’ That’s pain.
“If I can deal with all of these trials and tribulations, then the weight-cut and the rehydration clause, these are all things that are not an issue.”
It was a hugely emotional moment with Benn and the rest of the room left silenced.
The boxing fraternity was deeply concerned after his speech.
One wrote: “That is heartbreaking. Sending my best Chris.
Another added: “This is concerning, I hope he is well enough to fight.”
The whole showdown has been a turbulent build-up, given his bitter rivalry with Benn.
Eubank Jr and Benn have been thrust into a rivalry, 35 years in the making, from their father’s famous two fights in 1990 and 1993.
And the stakes couldn’t be higher for both fighters, three years on from their cancelled clash in 2022.
Eubank Jr is confident he will deliver the hammer blow and oust his long-term foe.
He added: “I’m a complete fighter. I’ve been doing this for so long now I’ve forgotten more things than he knows.
“That will show on the night – the experience, the dedication and the will. These will all be the deciding factors.
“The procedure will be parliamentary. That’s the only thing I can say about the outcome of this fight.
“Everything will go the way I want it to go. I will be like a matador in that ring and Conor Benn will be the bull.”
Eubank Jr v Benn Live on talkSPORT
More than 30 years after their dads fought each other, Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn finally meet in the ring.
The fight will be LIVE on talkSPORT on Saturday 26 April from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Steve Collins, who beat both Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, is part of talkSPORT’s team and will join Adam Catterall, Gareth A Davies, Spencer Oliver and John Rawling for commentary on fight night.
You can also catch the action on talkBOXING’s YouTube Watchalong.
