It would appear on paper that Chris Eubank Jr. has the advantage over Conor Benn heading into their all-British grudge match on Oct. 8 from the sold-out O2 Arena in London.
Eubank is the more experienced fighter, has been in bigger fights, and Benn is jumping up two weight classes. But Eubank has to drop three pounds for the 157-pound catchweight affair. That shouldn't matter, according to Hall of Fame boxer-turned-trainer Roy Jones Jr., who feels Eubank should take care of business.
“I think Eubank wins the fight with no problem, but there are a few things he [will] have to do to make sure he keeps being in check,” Jones recently told Fighthype. “Eubank is probably more experienced, the bigger and the better fighter, so all my thoughts would be towards Eubank.
“But there are some things that Conor could do to cause problems, and I’ve already warned Chris of those things, so I think he’ll be fine.”
Jones was Eubank's head trainer for his last two fights, wins against Wanik Awdijan and Liam Williams, respectively. For the Benn fight, Jones won't be in the corner. As Eubank told DAZN earlier this week, his father, Chris Eubank Sr., should be in his corner on fight night. Jones doesn't feel slighted because he understands the historical significance of Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn being involved in their sons' fight.
“If it was me and he asked me what he should do, I would’ve told him to do just that,” Jones said. “Your fathers are the reason the fight is happening, and having the fathers there in the corners is going to make it even bigger for everybody. So if I was a fan, I would definitely want to see Nigel in Conor’s corner and see Eubank Sr. in Chris’ corner.
"Why would I want to put my own values over something that’s bigger than that? You know what I mean? They’re fighting because of the fathers. The fathers are the reason that the fight is even relevant. You feel me? I’m going to step back and let the fathers do their due diligence because they are the reason this fight is happening. They wouldn’t be fighting otherwise if it wasn’t for their fathers. One is a welterweight, and one is a middleweight. There wouldn’t be no fight all if it weren’t for their fathers."