Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn were stopped from sharing a lift together by security guards during Tuesday’s media day.
The potentially explosive situation was halted prior to the press conference which could have seen the pair clash away from the stage.
But security quickly intervened before Benn, who was accompanied by dad Nigel, had the opportunity to confront Eubank Jr after the lift he was in stopped on the floor his future opponent was waiting on.
Once the pair had locked eyes, a ramped-up Benn shouted at Eubank Jr: “You look stupid in that outfit.”
His 35-year-old opponent responded with a smile before saying: “Let’s jump in.”
Eubank’s composed response appeared to annoy Benn who hit back saying: “Oh shut up, Chris. [You’re] talking s**t.”
He then threatened the IBO middleweight champion, adding: “You won’t make it out!” before a voice can be heard telling Eubank Jr “Stay out there.”
The pair later clashed on stage resulting in Eubank Jr slapping Benn with an egg in reference to his claim that his two failed drug tests were due to him ingesting contaminated eggs.
Following Tuesday’s confrontation, Eubank Jr wrote on X: “Apparently egg contamination was the reason for his two failed drugs tests. So I contaminated him with an egg.”
It led to Wednesday’s planned face-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium being cancelled although Thursday’s follow-up press conference in London is set to go ahead.
Discussing the events in Manchester, Eubank Jr’s promoter Ben Shalom revealed he had no idea his fighter had cracked an egg on Benn’s face.
“I genuinely thought it was a lot worse than it was at the time. I couldn’t see that it was definitely an egg. I thought he’d just cracked him,” Shalom told talkSPORT.
“I’m thinking ‘Chris!’ I’d never seen anything like that from him before. I’d thought he hit him.
“As the dust settled, I realised it wasn’t as bad as it looked and there was an egg involved. At the time it just descended into absolute chaos.
“Not all promotion is good promotion, technically should he put hands on another fighter? Probably not, but on this occasion I have to say it was funny because of what has gone on in the last two years.
“What Chris has had to put up with in the last two years. He will deal with it with humour rather than aggression.
“That had a massive impact on his career. He’s been thinking about it for a while. I don’t condone it, but I don’t think it’s as bad as everyone is making out.”
Eubank Jr and Benn will settle their differences at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26, more than 30 years after their fathers’ final fight which ended in a draw in 1993.
