The long-awaited feud between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn is nearing the finish line, with a “stadium blockbuster awaiting” in April, promoter E. Eddie Hearn said.
The two bitter rivals have been at an impasse in negotiations in recent weeks, but Benn’s representative Hearn believes a deal could finally be reached in the coming days.
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has reportedly been targeted, but the exact location has yet to be confirmed, with the reported date being April 26.
“I think we’re either going to succeed this week or we’re going to fail,” Hearn told Sky Sports. “The chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, His Excellency Turki al-Sheikh, has made it clear that he wants to see and be involved in this fight, which is great. Help because it allows him to sit in the middle and negotiate with both sides.
“Honestly, if I negotiated with Eubank, I don’t think this fight would have happened. Luckily, I didn’t.
“We’re close to the finish line. While it’s not done yet, April’s stadium blockbuster is hopefully in the works.”
Hearn added: “If everyone was sensible, I would be 100 per cent (convinced the fight would happen). But this is boxing, no one is sensible. Watch this space.”
Eubank Jr.’s October 2022 match with Ben was canceled after his opponent tested positive for the banned substance clomiphene.
Benn’s license was suspended by the British Boxing Board of Control but the ban was lifted in November after the national anti-doping panel said they were “not satisfied” that the 28-year-old had committed a doping offence.
Benn’s reprieve paves the way for Eubank Jr. and Benn, the sons of great British rivals Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn, to reignite their rivalry in the ring.