The rematch between Chris Eubank and Conor Benn has sneaked up on me, and I’m actually quite surprised it’s this coming Saturday that the two face off again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It’s been fewer than 7 months since the first fight, and getting this done so quickly is a refreshing change to the usual boxing landscape, in terms of getting fights over the line.
Eubank Jnr won the first fight, but boy did he have to work hard to get the decision. It was 116-112 on all 3 cards, though Eubank’s face made it look as if he’d lost the fight. At those scores, there only needed to be a couple of rounds going for Benn instead of Eubank, and we would have had a different winner.
I was pretty impressed with Conor Benn in the first fight. He had plenty of heart, which we expected from both fighters, but I thought he was technically the better fighter and definitely the sharper of the two boxers. Unsurprising, I guess, being the younger man by 7 years.
Eubank Jnr slogged his way through the fight and walked through a lot of shots from the smaller man, but I’m not convinced he has this kind of fight in him again, especially at 36.
Conor Benn is a smarter fighter than I gave him credit for. He is eager to learn, too, which I don’t see in the often arrogant Eubank Jr. This time around, I think Conor will be smarter in his work and not let Eubank in close quite so much.
This is easy to say as Eubank obviously has the size and weight advantage, but I just think the combination of Conor being smarter and Eubank not quite as willing to go to the trenches could result in a different winner this time around. This match-up is surely destined for a trilogy.
I still think the fight will be close and we could see a split decision or even a draw, but at the current prices, a Benn win on points looks the value play for my Best Value Bet (BVB) at odds of 4/1. I will also be backing the draw for my speculative Fun Longshot Wager (FLW).
Enjoy the fight, guys. Unless you’re Talksport’s Simon Jordan of course. He refuses to admit he’s wrong about this match up and won’t be tuning in apparently.
Best Value Bet (BVB) -> Conor Benn by Decision or Technical Decision at 17/4 with Unibet
Fun Longshot Wager (FLW) -> Fight to end in a draw at 17/1 with BetMGM