Chris Eubank Jr beats Conor Benn in controversial fashion as rivals produce epic fight | Boxing | Sport

Chris Eubank Jr successfully honoured his father’s legacy with a thrilling victory over Conor Benn in front of a sell-out crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Neither man gave an inch over 12 punishing rounds, with the decision eventually going in favour of the older fighter. It was a slightly wide margin, though, given how close it was from the first minute to the final bell.

The historic bout took place after a chaotic build-up, which saw eggs smashed in faces and family feuds played out in the public eye. Perhaps the biggest twist of all took place just hours before the main event, when Eubank Jr was joined by his father in an unexpected turn of events.

For the ring walks, both men were accompanied by their famous family members, who shared a warm embrace in a touching moment before the first bell.

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After a tense staredown and a refusal to touch gloves, the fight began and the pent-up aggression from both men was clear to see. Benn landed a few early shots in the pocket, with Eubank looking to put his superior reach to good use.

The Destroyer had the first meaningful blow of the bout, catching Eubank with a well-timed left hand. A right hand to the chin followed but Next Gen shrugged it off before some fierce words were exchanged at the end of the opening round.

Another firm right hand in the second was followed by a smart left hook, with Benn looking sharper than his opponent early on. Eubank was reluctant to work his jab, allowing Benn to stay within range and land his shots.

Benn rocked Eubank with a ferocious one-two at the start of round three, drawing a huge roar of excitement from the baying crowd. He found more joy with his counter-punching, using his speed to rack up scoring punches as Eubank struggled to settle.

He came out swinging in the fourth, though, landing a couple of aggressive combinations before flashing a cheeky smile at Benn. It was followed by a long right uppercut and a flurry of punches in each direction, with Eubank showing his mettle for the first time.

It was at this point that he began to take the centre of the ring, dictating the pace and forcing Benn to revert to counter-punching once again.

Both fighters landed strong shots in the sixth but a few punches to the back of the head started to creep in, with Eubank getting a talking-to from the referee at the halfway point.

Eubank nailed Benn with a heavy uppercut early in the seventh, which was shrugged off by the younger man. He was much the quicker fighter in the early rounds but started to slow down a touch as fatigue began to come into play.

More powerful exchanges followed as both men ramped up the aggression, with Eubank having slightly more joy than his opposite number. Benn regained his energy and was back on the front foot in the ninth round as the fight teetered on a knife-edge.

A nasty cut opened up above Eubank’s right eye, caused by an accidental clash of heads during one of many clinches. The pace refused to let up heading into the championship rounds, with the two bitter rivals still determined to knock each other out.

Eubank began to run out of steam as the bout neared its conclusion, allowing Benn to cause more damage to his face. A brutal left hook staggered Eubank as the pair traded heavy blows on the ropes at the end of the penultimate round.

With everything to play for in the final three minutes, both fighters unleashed their remaining arsenal in search of a dramatic stoppage. Benn was hurt by a swinging right hand in the dying seconds and it looked as though Eubank was one punch away from victory.

The bell rang seconds later, though, and the scorecards were required to separate the pair at the end of a momentous fight with nothing left on the table.

Eubank was the man lifting his arms in triumphant fashion as the decision was read out, with all three judges scoring it 116-112 in favour of the winner.