Boxing

GEORGE GROVES cracked a hilarious joke about Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn – but it went unnoticed.The former super middleweight world champion was part of SunSport’s panel previewing the fight, which takes place this weekend.George Groves made a clever quip referencing a key moment in the build upCredit: YouTube/The Sun SportThe former boxer was left grinning but his joke fell on deaf earsCredit: YouTube/The Sun SportChris Eubank Snr ignored the joke and continued his tiradeHe was sat alongside Harlem Eubank and Chris Eubank Snr, who has distanced himself from his son and the fight, which he labelled a “circus”.Eubank Snr explained why he wants nothing to do with the bout, despite being a key player because of his duels with Nigel Benn in the 1990s.He pointed to his son hitting Benn in the face with an egg during a press conference as an example of barbarity, prompting the quip from Groves.Eubank said on the SunSport panel: “So my son, he smashes an egg on the face of Conor.READ MORE IN BOXING”You want me to be associated with what you call legacy? That’s not legacy.”Groves quickly chimed in, saying: “It’s egg-acy isn’t it, Chris?”The joke went unnoticed as Eubank continued his tirade – but Groves was left grinning to himself and viewers appreciated the jibe.One fan reacted saying: “George Groves a G for the Eggacy comment 😂”Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAnother added: “Good old Grovesy 😂”And a third wrote: “It fell on deaf ears 😂”It is disgraceful! Eubank Sr | Eubank Jr V Benn: No Glove Lost fight previewGroves’ joke certainly was not heard by Eubank, who resumed lamenting the actions of his son and his opponent Benn.He continued: “That is bringing the game of boxing into disrepute.”That would have been a disqualifying effect back in my day.”No different to the language of Conor. The man speaks like he is possessed, a drunk, from a boxing point of view.”Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor BennTHE countdown is ON to one of the biggest boxing events of the 21st CenturyFamilial tension and a rivalry that has been brewing for years will finally be resolved when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.There has been huge drama in the build-up with the pair engaged in a war of words and multiple clashes in person.SunSport will have full coverage of the blockbuster clash all week and LIVE round-by-round coverage of every fight on a stacked undercard.Latest NewsAll the info More

CHRIS EUBANK JR is the one in danger in Saturday night’s mixed-weight war with Conor Benn, according to former opponent George Groves.The 37-year-old  sealed a thrilling points win against Eubank Jr in 2018 as he defended his WBA super-middleweight title.There’s been bad blood in the build up to the fightCredit: PAGeorge Groves (right) was part of the panel on SunSport’s No Glove Lost alongside Chris Eubank Snr and Harlem EubankWatch No Glove Lost in the video player or on YouTubeAnd the Saint knows the hell Eubank Jr is going through, boiling his 5ft 11in frame down to 11st 6lb, seven years later, at the age of 35.By contrast, Benn has not boxed at his original welterweight limit of 10st 7lb since 2022 and enjoyed his last two victories at the super- welterweight limit of 11st.An emotional Chris Eubank Sr told SunSport this week that his son will have to melt and dehydrate 20lb off, to make the 160lb limit.Read more BoxingWhile Benn can pack on 6lb of muscle for the  clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.Groves, now training and managing rising cruiserweight Lucas Roehrig, said: “Taking off a few pounds is hard, it will be hard for him, you can see it’s hard for him.“This is at middleweight and there is nothing wrong with that.“Conor is a middleweight now, he will never touch welterweight again.Most read in Boxing“Conor had two fights at 154lb and is now at middleweight.BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK“People don’t tend to get hurt when they move up in weight, it’s when you are cutting weight and dehydrating that you are more likely to get hurt.“If you are dehydrated in camp and sparring and getting caught, you get hurt.Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn’s 30-year blood feud plays out in new big budget video starring KSI ahead of epic fight“So the danger is for Chris Eubank Jr.”The one anomaly on Eubank Jr’s record is a violent stoppage loss to Liam Smith in January 2023. It is the only time the granite-chinned brawler has been stopped and he avenged it seven months later in sensational style.And super-smart Groves points to the fact that Eubank Jr had starved himself down towards the 157lb catchweight limit the original Benn bout was made at, just three months earlier, and looked emaciated.He said: “When Chris went down to fight at 157lb, after he had boxed mostly at 168lb, that was a step too far. That was forcing a square peg in a round hole.“He couldn’t beat me at 168lb and went down. And when he went down to middleweight and lost to Liam Smith, I thought it was the weight cut that did him.”Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor BennTHE countdown is ON to one of the biggest boxing events of the 21st CenturyFamilial tension and a rivalry that has been brewing for years will finally be resolved when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.There has been huge drama in the build-up with the pair engaged in a war of words and multiple clashes in person.SunSport will have full coverage of the blockbuster clash all week and LIVE round-by-round coverage of every fight on a stacked undercard.Latest NewsAll the infoThe pre-fight media events so far have been box office.Eubank Jr smashed an egg over his second-generation rival — to the disappointment of his father Chris — to remind the world of Benn’s excuse for the 2022 doping case that got the first clash axed.Back then Benn claimed the reason he tested positive for women’s fertility drug Clomifene was because he had eaten too many eggs.Eubank Jr also accused the son of British ring legend Nigel of owing promoter Eddie Hearn millions of pounds. It has not been the usual show staged to flog tickets.Groves recognises a cunning mastermind at work. He said: “A lot of the build-up to most fights is boring.“I don’t want to go to press  conferences and watch Eddie Hearn interview everyone one-by-one.“Chris has been prepared for every stage of this build-up.“Chris has brought his A-game. He might have moved his line in the sand to somewhere that his dad would not have gone to.“But I am certain he knows what he is doing and he knew Conor would implode. The fight is about who can hold their nerve.Read More on The Sun“What you see is what you get from Conor Benn, he is going to come out hard and fast, he is going to try to land something big early.“Let’s see if Eubank can get past those first three or four rounds. I still make Eubank the favourite.”Eubank Jr was at an event to promote the event on Tuesday nightCredit: GettyGroves beat Eubank when they fought in 2018Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdGroves told SunSport he fancies Eubank to beat Benn More

CANELO ALVAREZ might be boxing’s biggest superstar but he admits to not being an avid fight fan. Although Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn’s bitter grudge match is a rare bout he WILL tune in for.Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn fight on April 26Credit: GettyCanelo Alvarez will be a keen observerCredit: GettyCanelo, 34, told SunSport: “I’m gonna watch it for sure. I don’t watch that much boxing, but I’m gonna watch it.”And I don’t know who’s gonna win, but all the best for both fighters.”Benn, 28, prepares to jump two weights from welterweight to middleweight to fight Eubank, 35, at Tottenham on Saturday. It comes three years after he was pulled out of their original 157lb catchweight clash after failing two pre-fight drug tests. READ MORE IN boxing But Benn has protested his innocence ever since and saw his provisional UK Anti-Doping ban lifted last November. He has won two light-middleweight bouts on the road in America in the midst of his doping bust. Meanwhile, Eubank most recently beat Kamil Szeremeta in October to keep his bitter blockbuster with Benn alive. Bragging rights and family pride is on the line as the born rivals fight 35 years after Eubank Sr beat Benn’s dad Nigel. Most read in BoxingChris Eubank Jr vs Conor BennTHE countdown is ON to one of the biggest boxing events of the 21st CenturyFamilial tension and a rivalry that has been brewing for years will finally be resolved when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.There has been huge drama in the build-up with the pair engaged in a war of words and multiple clashes in person.SunSport will have full coverage of the blockbuster clash all week and LIVE round-by-round coverage of every fight on a stacked undercard.Latest NewsAll the infoCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut the ante was upped when Saudi’s boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh said the winner in North London could fight Canelo next year. The Mexican legend has long been linked with Eubank – and is desperate to one day fight on British soil.Canelo, who fights William Scull on May 4, said: “I’m focused 100 per cent on this fight but it’s something I’m always dreaming in my life.”I don’t know who or what fighter I’m gonna face, but I’m always dreaming in my career of fighting in UK.”For sure for me would be crazy to go there and fight in front of everybody there. I actually like it a lot.”Canelo has beaten EIGHT British opponents on his way to becoming a four-weight world champion. I’m gonna watch it for sure. I don’t watch that much boxing, but I’m gonna watch it.Canelo on Eubank vs Benn And he looks to regain his undisputed super-middleweight throne against Scull, 32, in Riyadh which marks his first fight outside of North America. A super-fight against pound-for-pound American great Terence Crawford, 37, is set to then follow in Las Vegas in September. But Canelo had to walk away from a shock bout with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in order to proceed with the blockbuster. He was in advanced talks to face Paul, 28, in Vegas on May 3 – until Canelo dramatically pulled out to instead sign a four-bout deal with Alalshikh. It starts with the unification against Scull and continues for a fight against Crawford later in the year – with another two bouts in 2026. Read More on The SunAnd after the fiasco with Paul collapsed, Canelo said: “I’m very happy. “Things happen for a reason and I’m happy with this and I’m gonna enjoy it as much as I can.”Canelo faces William Scull in his next fightCredit: GettyCanelo walked away from talks to fight Jake PaulCredit: Rex More

SPURS-MAD Viddal Riley is out for North London bragging rights against Gooner Chev Clarke – and warned Declan Rice cannot save him. The pair of cruiserweights meet for the British title on the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn’s mega-fight on Saturday. Viddal Riley with Tottenham legend Ledley KingCredit: Alex Morton/THFCChev Clarke is a big Arsenal fanCredit: X @C4CHEVAnd the pride of capital is also on the line as Arsenal fan Clarke travels behind enemy lines for the bout at Tottenham’s 62,000 seater. Riley, 27, said: “That’s great, stuff like that. I just like it. “At the end of the day he’s my opponent, so if he just racks up a list of things that to be my opposition, if it’s club support or whatever, I’m here for it.“There’s nothing but friction between us anyway, so I’m like, ‘You’re Arsenal, and on top of it you’re coming to Spurs.’ Yeah man, it’s good.”READ MORE IN boxingRiley has watched in horror this season as his beloved Spurs sit 16th in the Premier League table.And what’s worse, rivals Arsenal are flying high, into the Champions League semi-final after seeing past Real Madrid over two legs. Talisman Declan Rice scored two sublime free-kicks in the first leg – to leave Clarke and the rest of the Gunners faithful in dreamland.But Riley, ahead of their title fight, said: “Unfortunately, he ain’t got Declan Rice to help him. This is all on Chev but that does add a little spice to it.Most read in BoxingChris Eubank Jr vs Conor BennTHE countdown is ON to one of the biggest boxing events of the 21st CenturyFamilial tension and a rivalry that has been brewing for years will finally be resolved when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.There has been huge drama in the build-up with the pair engaged in a war of words and multiple clashes in person.SunSport will have full coverage of the blockbuster clash all week and LIVE round-by-round coverage of every fight on a stacked undercard.Latest NewsAll the infoCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“I do think it is a nice little twist in the storyline and the narrative.”But the main thing is we’re gonna be throwing bangs and I look forward to doing that and the challenge.”Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn’s 30-year blood feud plays out in new big budget video starring KSI ahead of epic fightThe night’s headliner will see Eubank, 35, and Benn, 28, renew a family rivalry over three decades old. Their middleweight grudge match comes 35 years after their dads’ classic with the born rivals meeting in a never-before-seen generational clash. Riley opens the card and hopes to be one of the thousands watching the blockbuster main event. He said: “Life likes to throw spanners in the works, but based on where I believe I’m on the card, which is like the first on the main card, there should be enough time.“We’ve got to see how the fight goes, we’ve gotta see what’s happening, but I definitely would like to have the opportunity to watch the main event with the British title in hand.”But an early knockout could help Riley get to his ringside seat on time. Read More on The SunHe grinned: “There’s always a possibility that can happen. We see in my last fight, it was at heavyweight also and we did less than six minutes.“So it definitely has the ability to have a short night but the whole camp is to prepare for the longest.”Viddal Riley is 12-0 in his careerCredit: Getty More

HARLEY BENN is ready to extend his family feud by fighting Harlem Eubank – after they struck a gentleman’s agreement in Marbella. Benn is half-brother to Conor, who fights Harlem’s cousin Chris Eubank Jr on Saturday at Tottenham’s stadium. Conor Benn with estranged brother HarleyChris Eubank Jr with cousin HarlemHarlem himself was gunning to face Benn at one point – but Harley does not rule out fighting the Brighton welterweight. He told SunSport: “Being completely honest, I need a few more fights before Harlem Eubank.“Harlem Eubank’s a great fighter, but it’s not something I would shy away from at all in any way. I would like to fight Harlem Eubank.“I’m not delusional, I haven’t fought since 2023. I would need to build up and I would have to have a great camp for Harlem Eubank.READ MORE IN BOXING“But from what I’ve seen at the minute, Harlem’s going for Conor. So we’ll see how that one plans out. That to me is a very close fight, Harlem versus Conor.“I think it is a great fight as well, just like Eubank Jr versus Conor is a great fight. It’s so unpredictable.” The family rivalry dates back to 1990 when Eubank Sr beat Nigel Benn before they controversially drew three years later. Now their sons add a new chapter three decades on for a middleweight grudge match in North London this weeekend.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSChris Eubank Jr vs Conor BennTHE countdown is ON to one of the biggest boxing events of the 21st CenturyFamilial tension and a rivalry that has been brewing for years will finally be resolved when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.There has been huge drama in the build-up with the pair engaged in a war of words and multiple clashes in person.SunSport will have full coverage of the blockbuster clash all week and LIVE round-by-round coverage of every fight on a stacked undercard.Latest NewsAll the infoAnd Harley – who is 9-2 – is open to a spin-off against 21-0 Harlem – after a chance meeting between the pair on holiday.Harley, 28, revealed: “I bumped into Harlem in Marbella a few years back, and it was all respectful.Harley Benn opens up on cutting out dad Nigel and losing touch with brother Conor“We were talking boxing and respectfully, we said, maybe one day, who knows? I didn’t say, ‘I wanna fight you, and he didn’t say, ‘I wanna fight you.’“I was like, ‘Listen, there could be another Eubank-Benn on the cards one day.’ But it was nothing but respect, gave a little hug and kept it moving.”Benn was first meant to fight Eubank Jr in a 157lb catchweight clash in October 2022 – but he was withdrawn after failing two drug tests. He protested and fought his innocence after having his British Boxing Board of Control licence taken away.Benn had two wins up at the light-middleweight limit in America before his provisional UK Anti-Doping ban was lifted. It freed him to fight in Britain again – but his rivalry with Eubank Jr was taken to new bitter heights. I bumped into Harlem in Marbella a few years back, and it was all respectful. We were talking boxing and respectfully, we said, maybe one day, who knows? Harley Benn on fighting Harlem Eubank Harley – who is currently estranged from dad Nigel and brother Conor – meanwhile has no ill-will towards the Eubanks. He said: “I’ve got nothing but respect for the Eubanks, if I’m honest with you. “Yeah, there’s this family feud in boxing and whatnot but I’m not part of that. “If I end up being part of it then I do think just the Eubank-Benn will fire up my belly a little bit. The way I see it, at the minute it’s 1-0. “I do believe my dad won the second fight and I believe a lot of people think he won the second fight but he got given a draw.“So he drew to Eubank Sr and lost to Eubank Sr. If Conor beats Eubank Jr, it’s 1-1, there’s gonna be a rematch.Read More on The Sun“If Eubank Jr beats Conor, it’s 2-0. So there will need to be three Ben wins for them, us. “Who knows, later on in life I could fight Harlem Eubank. I would love to.”Chris Eubank Jr facing off with Conor BennCredit: GettyEubank Sr and Nigel Benn had two classic fightsCredit: Getty More