What do you get for £0.05? If you’re Conor Benn, it’s a luxury Rolls Royce with a champagne table, a whiskey table, mink carpet, carbon fiber trim and shooting stars dotting the interior ceiling.
It’s the car he bought for the $500,000 imposed on underweight Chris Eubank Jr. ahead of his first fight in April.
Ben sits in his seat with his initials sewn into the headrest, wondering what he’ll buy if Eubank can’t make weight for the rematch.
“I’ve bought a Ferrari and that contributes to that,” he laughed.
He may have won on the scales ahead of his last fight, but it was Eubank Jr. who won by decision in the ring.
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Dive into the most explosive boxing showdowns caught on camera, including Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn, Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson, and more!
Although Ben finds material comfort, he is driven by a desire to avenge his loss.
“If I was scared or I wasn’t a proper fighter, would I have shown this fight to the public? Probably not. I’m the one who moves up two weights at the end of the day,” Benn told Sky Sports.
“He shouldn’t have lost in the first fight, because you’re fighting a welterweight for God’s sake. You have to consider this is the second time in my career that I’ve gone 12 rounds.
“I’m going to take him out on Saturday.”
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Chris Eubank Jr. says he’s “fresh and hungry” ahead of rematch with Conor Benn and credits his opponent for his first-fight performance
The pair reprized the rivalry between their famous fathers, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Snr, who lit up the British boxing scene in the 1990s.
Benn is adamant that this upcoming contest will mark the end of Eubank Jr.’s career. “I think Chris will retire after this fight,” Ben said.
“He’s fighting a welterweight. Look at the scenery. He’s not going to stay at 160 pounds and fight Janibek (Alim Kanuri) or (Hamza) Sheeraz for half the money. It doesn’t make sense.”
“He’s fighting a welterweight,” Ben emphasized. “I will return to welterweight and continue pursuing my goals and dreams at 147. This will be my last fight at 160.”
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Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn shared a fierce showdown ahead of their November rematch
He was originally scheduled to box Eubank Jr. at catchweight in 2022, but that bout was scrapped after Benn hit back with an anti-doping violation. Once he was cleared to box in the UK, a fight finally took place in April this year, this time at 160 pounds, with a fight-day weight check and a rematch.
“It’s been the bane of my life for the past three years, so I can’t wait for this to be over and over so I can get on with my career,” Ben said.
He wants to record a victory over Eubank Jr., but is also determined to pursue a world title.
“My goal is to win a world title at welterweight,” he said. “My goal now is to get back to welterweight. I have the best team, nutritionist and chef to get me back to 147.”
WBC belt holder Mario Barrios is his target, and he said, “I’m going to go to the WBC tournament in Thailand right after the fight to sort things out.”
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Speaking on the Toe-2-Toe podcast, Conor Benn said he was “too emotional” ahead of his first fight with Chris Eubank Jr. and explained his game plan for a rematch.
But he added: “Barrios, (Ryan) Garcia, Lawrie Romero, I have a lot of chances to win a world title.It’s a fight that gets talked about right after the fight.
“Brian Norman, any of these guys. I’ll fight any of them.”
A $500,000 car might be the perfect environment to consider a fighter’s true motivations. In professional boxing, wealth and title wins don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
After all, Eubank Jr. is in a non-title match. The aging Manny Pacquiao, coming out of retirement to draw with Barrios, might be his most lucrative fight after Eubank Jr., but it won’t come with a world championship.
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Conor Benn reflects on his grudge match with rival Chris Eubank Jr. earlier this year and says he has different motivations for the rematch.
“How much money do I need? Or how much do I make? I feel like I put three years of my career aside for this fight. Now, if I retired a millionaire and didn’t have a world title, I wouldn’t be complete,” Ben said.
“I would be mad at myself…I don’t know. It doesn’t suit me. It’s all about money, I need money to live, but ultimately it’s about money and having the perfect belt for me.
“Enough of Chris and the Eubank/Ben names. I can’t wait to get done and get on with my career.”
