Conor Benn W12 Chris Eubank Jr. ... Conor Benn delivered the last word on a three-decade, two-generation rivalry as he obtaied revenge against Chris Eubank Jr. in their rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Benn avenged a first career loss in April's original grudge match as he knocked down his rival in the final round en route to a 119-107, 118-108, 116-110 unanimous decision victory. It marks a first win for the Benn family in four attempts against their biggest foes, as 'The Destroyer' managed what father Nigel could not do against Eubank Jr.'s father Chris Sr. (the two fights between the fathers resulted in a 1990 win for Eubank Sr. and a 1993 draw). More than six months after the sons shared the ring in an enthralling encounter, there were plenty who wondered if the pair's second dance could match a modern British classic. This follow-up did not live up to the back-and-forth duel of the original, but it nevertheless proved a worthy successor as it helped draw a definitive line under their story.

 

For Benn, who plans a return to his natural welterweight after vaulting two divisions for this challenge, it marks the sweetest triumph of his career as he goes in pursuit of titles. Conversely, at thirty-six, it leaves Eubank Jr. with serious questions over his future, with the star visibly exhausted in the closing stages and surely to face questions on retirement.

 

Eubank Jr. responded after a taut first round with a clinched shove that sent the younger man for a tumble in the second, with stern words for both men from referee Kevin Parker. That set the template for a scrappy third and fourth, where Benn sought to work the head and body diligently, but too often walked into the counter-traps laid in his path. With the superior reach, Eubank Jr. sought to establish a more successful range in the fifth but took his own slip to the canvas in the sixth, ruled too as accidental inside the ring.

 

That seemed to further inflame Benn, who turned his fury into cold aggression with crunching jabs in the seventh round, before he dislodged his rival's mouthpiece in the eighth. Perhaps aware of the bout slipping away from him, Eubank Jr. sought to up the work rate in the ninth, but seemed to struggle in a straightforward pursuit throughout the tenth. Sensing victory was near, Benn upped the ante and finally secured his knockdown in the closing round, to the roars of the crowd, before the final bell confirmed a famous triumph.