- Chris Eubank Jr was taken to hospital by ambulance for precautionary checks
- He beat bitter rival Conor Benn 116-112 on all three scorecards in a gruelling bout
- Eubank Jr suffered a cut above his right eye in the latter stages of the fight
The punishing damage dealt to Chris Eubank Jr by his bitter rival Conor Benn during this grudge match on Saturday night has been revealed.
Eubank Jr was on the receiving end of a series of devastating blows and sustained a nasty cut above his right eye which required the 35-year-old to be admitted to hospital post fight.
Despite his bloody condition, Eubank Jr was the victor in a classic clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that captured the imagination of the public following the pair’s years-long feud.
He won 116-112 on each scorecard as he inflicted a first career defeat on Benn, claiming bragging rights in their grudge match after a 30-month wait. However, after the encounter, Eubank Jr was taken to hospital by ambulance for precautionary checks.
Benn went on to claim that his opponent suffered a broken jaw during their bout. Eubank Jr’s post-fight press conference was cancelled and the gruesome cut he received in the ninth round of the contest has been revealed.
Images of Eubank Jr from late on in the fight show blood pouring out of the wound as he set about delivering punishment of his own to his rival. After the contest, the middleweight posed for an photo with his outspoken father, Eubank Sr, who stunned the world when he arrived in north London with his son, having labelled him a disgrace in the build-up.
Chris Eubank Jr was on the receiving end of some devestating blows by Conor Benn despite claiming victory against his bitter rival
The 35-year-old sustained a nasty cut above his right eye after a clash of heads in the ninth round
Eubank Jr was admitted to hospital for precautionary checks after the punishing bout on Saturday night
Eubank Sr and Jr – now both victors against the Benn Sr and Jr respectively – stood together in the ring, with the latter looking noticeably wary and his cut clearly visible above his right eye.
Eubank Jr also sported heavy bruising on both cheeks, while his white shorts were stained with blood.
Chris Eubank Sr, who beat Nigel Benn for the WBO Middleweight Championship in 1990, and retained his WBC Super-Middleweight crown with a draw in 1993, had expressed fears in the run-up to the fight about the safety of his son attempting to make weight.
He failed the first weigh-in on Friday, being narrowly over the 160lb and slapped with a $500,000 (£375,000) fine as a result, before making weight for the strict 170lb cap for the fight-day weigh-in.
But he cut a dominant figure in the ring, landing 152 more punches than his opponent on his way to winning eight rounds.
There appeared to be a moment where he was out on his feet in the 12th round, sticking his head through the ropes, but he rallied back in a demanding last minute.
‘I knew I was capable of that, I just needed someone to bring that out of me. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t expect that he’d be the guy to do that,’ he said in the aftermath.
‘But the fact that our fathers did what they did all those years ago, it brings about a different soul and spirit into you, and that’s what we showed tonight.’
Conor Benn suffered the first defeat of his professional career but left with his reputation enhanced
Eubank Jr celebrated with his father, the former middleweight champion.
The 58-year-old had threatened to boycott the fight due to safety fears, calling it ‘against the law of boxing,’ and branded his son ‘disgraceful’ for slapping his rival with an egg during a February press conference.
But catching up with Mail Sport at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he said: ‘I back my son no matter what. The egg thing he did? Very disappointed, but I forgave him instantly. And now, he always has to understand you always have to preach that this is not the way we behave as standardbearers, as noblemen.’
