Conor Benn performed down Chris Eubank Jr’s win over Liam Smith on Saturday, whereas pushing for his personal struggle with the Brighton boxer to be rearranged.
Benn was on account of field Eubank Jr in October 2022, however the bout collapsed when it was revealed that Benn had failed two drug checks within the lead-up to the catchweight contest.
Eubank Jr went on to field Smith at middleweight in January, shedding to the Liverpudlian within the fourth spherical, earlier than avenging that defeat with a stoppage of Smith in Round 10 on Saturday.
Benn, 26, has been hit with bans and appeals since his drug-test saga started, and he has not fought since April 2022. The unbeaten Briton believes he’s nearing a return, although, and was ringside for Eubank Jr vs Smith 2 on the AO Arena in Manchester.
“Smith made him look good,” mentioned Benn, per Talksport. “What, it takes you 10 rounds to dispatch of someone who’s got a broken leg? I’m not really impressed.
“You could definitely see that it was an injury [to Smith], that’s all that was. One hundred per cent, you could tell Smith weren’t himself. His shots weren’t coming off, he weren’t able to get out the way of the shots. And that’s all that was.
“I didn’t think it was an impressive performance [by Eubank Jr]. If you’ve got a wounded man in there, take hold of them, get them out of there. If I’ve got someone injured in front of me who can’t throw back, they ain’t seeing the end of the round. That’s it.
“[Eubank Jr] looked better than he has done previously, but it weren’t all that. Smith made him look good tonight.”
Chris Eubank Jr compelled a stoppage in opposition to Liam Smith in Round 10 of their rematch
(PA)
Benn, who was referencing an obvious ankle harm suffered by Smith, additionally responded to a post-fight callout by Eubank Jr, saying: “Let’s get it on, there’s unfinished business there.”
Benn, who’s at the moment ineligible to field in Britain, has additionally hinted that he may return to the ring in Florida on 23 September.
Eubank Jr vs Benn, had it gone forward in October 2022, would have taken place nearly 29 years to the day after the pair’s fathers fought one another for the second time. Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn fought to a draw of their 1993 rematch, after the previous gained their first conflict in 1990.
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