Today, Chris Eubank Jnr. (35-3, 25 KOs) and Conor Benn (23-1, 14 KOs) held an open media workout ahead of their widely anticipated Middleweight rematch ‘The Ring: Unfinished Business’, live from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, United Kingdom, on Saturday, November 15, exclusively on DAZN PPV (5 p.m. ET). Eubank Jnr., Benn, and the rest of the fighters stepped into the ring for a media workout before the sparks fly in their 12-round bout on Saturday night.
Beginning Saturday’s action-packed card, Mikie Tallon (10-0, 1 KO) and Fezan Shahid (4-2) enter the ring in a Flyweight matchup, followed by a Super Welterweight bout for the British and Commonwealth Titles that will see Ishmael Davis (14-3, 6 KOs) try to take down Sam Gilley (18-1, 9 KOs). Then, Richard Riakporhe (18-1, 14 KOs) and Tommy Welch (16-0, 9 KOs) touch gloves in a Heavyweight fight, while Adam Azim (13-0, 10 KOs) and Kurt Scoby (18-1, 16 KOs) battle it out in a Super Lightweight bout. Leading into the main event, Jack Catterall (31-2, 13 KOs) faces off against Ekow Essuman (22-1, 8 KOs) in a Welterweight bout.
Below is what the fighters had to say from Canary Wharf in London, United Kingdom:
Conor Benn
On how he’s feeling ahead of Saturday
“I’m feeling great. I’m happy to be here.”
On how his demeanor differs from the last fight
“I’m still healing. I want to stay strong and have a strong mind because that carries a weak body, though a strong body can’t carry a weak mind. It’s all up here and it’s all mental. I felt strong. I’m always going to give 100%, but I wasn’t right. I had a lot of hatred, a lot of bitterness, a lot of anger, and a lot of spite. Waking up in the morning is what fueled me. I woke up in the morning angry and I would go to bed angry. I don’t feel that way now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an emotional guy.”
On what has brought him peace
“Therapy. A lot of therapy and a lot of help. I was a broken man, but my priority is to get back into the ring. I wanted to get back into the ring because that’s where I find peace. It was hard mentally. I look back now and think ‘I wasn’t in any condition [to be in the ring].’”
On if he’s proud of himself and his progress
“I’m getting there. People have gone through worse things in life. My kids are healthy, my family is healthy – what am I moaning about? I think you have to go through things in life to get to where I’m at now. I feel happy, too happy almost.”
On if he can flip the switch on Saturday and if it’ll be a daunting task
“Ultimately, I know I can go 12 rounds with a much bigger man. If you look at damage done in the [first] fight, it felt like I barely took any. I wasn’t sore, I was ready to go again. It [the rematch] was supposed to be in September and got pushed back to November, but for me this will be my last fight at 160 pounds. This is my last fight and then I can’t wait to be done with this. I’ll never have to see his face [Eubank Jr.] again and I can pursue the goal my trainer and I set out to achieve: win the World Title.”
On if he’s watched the first fight since
“I didn’t give him [Eubank Jr.] credit for his craft. He’s crafty in the ring. He’s strong and athletic, but I feel like I took his soul that night. I’ll take what’s left of it on Saturday, but it takes two to tango. If this was a welterweight fight, there would be no contest…he used his weight well. He’s a good fighter and I tip my hat to him.”
Adam Azim
On what happened with Kurt Scoby when he left the ring
“He was just standing there saying, ‘I’m the bigger guy,’ but his muscles won’t do anything. Most of these champions, Terence Crawford, Canelo Álvarez, Gervonta Davis, they’ve all knocked people out with muscles. His muscles won’t be doing the talking on Saturday.”
On looking ahead to Saturday following Kurt Scoby’s behavior towards him this week
“I can’t wait to smash his face in on Saturday. I’m very calm. It’s like Scooby Doo, there’s a character called Scrappy – he’s the scrappy one. I’m the calm one and I’ll do my job on Saturday Night.”
On if the fight is about making a statement and an example of Kurt Scoby’s behavior
“My statement is to make a big one, but I’m going to punish him and take him into deep waters.”
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