The three scorecards – that all adjudged the victor to be so by a 116-112 margin – for Chris Eubank Jr’s win over Conor Benn have been revealed.
Eubank Jr came on top against his arch nemesis at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night, edging a thrilling fight between two bitter rivals who were looking to win bragging rights for their family with the win.
It was a bout that ebbed and flowed, with Eubank Jr ending his opponent’s run of 23 wins three years on from when their rivalry first started and their original bout was scheduled before Benn’s drugs test drama.
Benn usually fights at welterweight, two classes below the middleweight category for the fight, and Eubank Sr, who appeared for the bout, criticised the fighters’ need for drastic physical changes in the build-up.
Eubank Jr himself dropped down in weight, missing weight on the day before the fight and being fined nearly £400,000 because of it. He weighed in fine on the day of the fight.
That didn’t impact him in terms of the result, though, with the favourite coming out on top in all three judges’ scorecards. Lee Every, Kieran McCann and Mark Bates all scored the bout 116-112 in Eubank Jr’s favour, but did have some rounds scored differently.
The judges’ scorecards for Chris Eubank Jr’s win over Conor Benn has been revealed
Eubank Jr (left) got the better of his bitter rival in the family feud by unanimous decision
Lee Every (pictured) was one of the three judges who scored the fight 116-112 in Eubank’s favour at the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium
All three judges gave the first round in favour of Eubank Jr as the winner came out the blocks fast, with Benn swinging wildly earlier on.
The second round, though, was given to Eubank Jr by Every, but McCann and Bates saw it in favour of Benn. All three judges then gave Benn the third round, to essentially put him into the lead.
Eubank Jr then took control, however, with Every and Bates giving rounds three to seven to him and McCann rounds three to six.
That put Eubank Jr ahead at the half-way stage, but a period of dominance then came from Benn – according to Every.
Every, who has been a judge since 2016, gave rounds eight through to 10 to Benn, meaning he was just two point off with two rounds to go on his card. McCann, though gave round seven to Benn, awarded eight and nine to Eubank – but 10 to Benn, leaving him two off on his card too.
Bates was the same, awarding rounds eight and nine to Benn, but 10 to Eubank. It meant Benn could not have won on points with two rounds remaining, but a draw was possible.
That was put to bed, though, with a strong ending from Eubank Jr, with all three judges giving him the final two rounds.
That meant that overall, according to the three men, Eubank Jr was the clear winner – scored the same on all three scorecards in terms of final result.
Eubank Jr led one all three scorecards for the majority of the fight and was ahead by two with two rounds remaining
Eddie Hearn – Benn’s promoter – complained about the size of the victory after the bout
Piers Morgan also chimed in on the scorecards, branding them ‘ridiculous’ and adding that ‘a draw would have been fairer’
The scorecards, though, didn’t go down well with one man. That was Benn’s promoter and Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn, who suggested the bout should have been a draw, before expressing his respect for both fighters.
Unbelievable. I couldn’t split them at the end. I thought Conor Benn was winning the fight. I thought he lost the last two rounds. I couldn’t split them. 116-112, I’m not going to… We’ve seen him moan before about scores. It is what it is.
‘I don’t see Chris Eubank winning that fight by four rounds at all. But forget that, just unbelievable respect for both men. I could not be prouder of Conor Benn for what he’s been through and the heart he showed in the ring tonight. Nigel Benn was the people’s champion. Tonight Conor Benn became the people’s champion.
‘He rose up from 147lbs to fight at middleweight in there. He took the kitchen sink. He never stopped trying to win the fight. That’s what the public love to see, someone that to the final bell does not stop throwing punches and trying to win. A little bit of inactivity, a little bit of inexperience, but I could not be prouder of Conor Benn.
‘Tonight I believe he won the entire hearts of the country and everyone that tuned in. I thought he could’ve won the fight. Razor thin. We’ll see what happens. Conor Benn is 147lb-er, he’s going to win world titles down there. We’ll see if we do the rematch or not at 160lbs. He’ll want to do it.
‘It was one of the best fights, one of the most dramatic fights I’ve seen. Big respect to Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, two great examples. A sport built out of respect and those two warriors should respect each other after that.’
Boxing fan Piers Morgan, meanwhile, added: ‘What? All three judges said it was 116-112 ?!!!! That’s ridiculous. Fight was way closer than that, a draw would have been fairer result.’
