Inside 934 Days Of Eubank-benn Bitterness And Chaos

Reporters gathered successful a London edifice connected 6 October 2022 for a pre-fight news conference, only to beryllium told nan title betwixt Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr - which was scheduled to return spot 2 days later - had been cancelled.

That was nan infinitesimal 934 days of chaos began, and transformed what was an aggravated rivalry betwixt 2 families into a bitter feud.

The conflict had been cancelled because Benn had grounded a narcotics test, which sent shockwaves done nan sport.

It meant a hold to nan commencement of nan 2nd procreation of Benn-Eubank rivalry, pursuing their fathers' iconic fights successful nan early 1990s.

More than 2 years on, nan brace will yet look disconnected successful nan ringing astatine Tottenham Hotspur Stadium connected Saturday.

Eubank has told BBC Sport he wants "revenge" and to "make Benn pay".

Benn, who has ever protested his innocence, predicts "a one-sided beat-down".

From Benn's two-year doping conflict to nan infamous Eubank slap pinch an egg that near each tabloid header writer scrambling for nan champion pun, it is difficult to callback a conflict already steeped successful truthful overmuch history, hatred and hostility earlier nan chime of nan first bell.

Former super-middleweight world champions Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn fought doubly during a fabled era for nan weight section successful Britain.

Eubank Sr won nan first conflict successful 1990 and nan 2nd ended successful a split-decision tie successful 1993.

Two decades later, their sons began their ain boxing journeys. They competed successful different divisions, though, truthful location was nary clear collision way until a lucrative conflict - courtesy of nan public's nostalgia-fuelled demands - was agreed for October 2022.

Despite immoderate low-level trash talk, neither boxer overstepped nan statement during media events. They moreover shared a cordial handshake successful 1 face-off interview.

"I could moreover opportunity I liked him because there's nary different personification connected nan satellite that's experiencing this travel and tin subordinate to what I've gone through. There was 100% respect there," Eubank says.

However, that respect vanished erstwhile news that Benn had returned an adverse uncovering for women's fertility supplier clomifene was leaked connected nan Wednesday of conflict week.

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) decided not to punishment nan fight, and nan cancellation was confirmed a time later. Benn was smuggled retired of nan edifice earlier nan assembled media was told.

It was a achromatic oculus for boxing without a punch being thrown and it dragged Benn into 1 of British boxing's biggest doping stories.

Benn admitted to 2 grounded tests but insisted he was guiltless of intentional doping and suggested it whitethorn person been because of contamination.

He was provisionally suspended from fighting successful March 2023. After a lengthy saga, during which nan prohibition was lifted past reintroduced pursuing appeals by UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) and nan BBBofC, Benn was yet cleared to conflict successful nan UK successful November 2024.

Before that, he doubly competed successful nan United States, earning unspectacular points wins complete Rodolfo Orozco successful September 2023 and Peter Dobson successful February 2024.

But his estimation - backmost home, successful peculiar - took a pounding.

Benn sent a 270-page dossier to nan WBC that he believed proved nary wrongdoing.

He was mocked by boxing followers erstwhile nan WBC concluded nan grounded tests mightiness person been caused by a "highly elevated consumption" of eggs.

A well-known edifice moreover posted an image of a regular pizza topped pinch boiled eggs, alongside nan caption 'Conor Benn special'.

Benn constricted his media interviews, but came adjacent to tears while talking astir a "vendetta" against him erstwhile speaking to Piers Morgan.

The logic for nan grounded tests stay inconclusive and we whitethorn ne'er find retired why aliases really clomifene entered Benn's body.

Benn - who says he has spent £1m successful ineligible costs - feels vindicated and does not spot nan request to merchandise nan dossier aliases nan findings of his ineligible battle.

Yet his promoter Eddie Hearn says he expects his combatant to beryllium jeered during his ringwalk, pinch immoderate of nan boxing nationalist remaining unconvinced.

While Benn dealt pinch grounded doping tests, Eubank turned his attraction elsewhere.

He was 1 half of 1 of nan astir compelling rivalries of caller years, suffering a daze nonaccomplishment to Liverpudlian Liam Smith 2 months aft his cancelled conflict pinch Benn.

Eubank avenged that defeat pinch a ascendant triumph wrong nan region 8 months later.

He had been successful nan moving for a lucrative changeable astatine undisputed super-middleweight champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, but nan protector of Benn was ne'er acold distant - sometimes literally.

Benn travelled to Saudi Arabia successful October, pushing Eubank astatine a media event arsenic his rival prepared to conflict Kamil Szeremeta.

After Eubank secured a regular stoppage win, Benn stormed nan ring.

Superstar Brazil footballer Neymar looked bemused, caught successful nan mediate of a face-off arsenic nan brace hurled maltreatment astatine each other.

After months of arguing complete purse splits, it took able Saudi Arabia to get nan fighters to work together terms.

Eubank says he is simply giving nan nationalist what they want.

"Why not nonstop my revenge connected this man for nan things he said astir me, for nan things he put maine done complete nan past fewer years?" he says.

Benn says location was "no different fight" for him, claiming he turned down a world title opportunity.

The magnitude of nan conflict has gradually accrued complete nan past 2 and a half years.

Any doubts it would not waste retired nan 62,000-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were quickly put to furniture during nan first media blitz.

The boxers squabbled for illustration petulant schoolchildren astatine a news convention successful February, pinch Eubank holding court, taking purpose astatine everyone successful his eyeline, including Benn and Hearn.

Then came nan viral moment.

During their first face-off, Eubank took 1 of 16 eggs nestled successful his pouch and slapped it crossed Benn's cheek, a motion to nan aforementioned WBC report.

Eubank coughed up a hefty £100,000 fine. Critics opportunity it was a mediocre look for nan sport, others consciousness it was a changeable of promotional genius.

Whichever broadside you beryllium on, and for each nan fighters and their fathers person gone through, nan ovum slap has go nan unexpected defining image of a rivalry that will yet make it into nan ringing for a much-anticipated conflict connected Saturday.