Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn face-off for first time since 'egg-gate' - with security on red alert ahead of huge grudge match
- Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr faced off for first time on fight week
- The pair will go toe-to-toe in an all-British clash on April 26 at Tottenham
Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn faced-off for the first time since the egg-smashing incident in Feburary.
With security on red alert, the fierce rivals, who lock horns to settle their grudge at a capacity Tottenham Stadium on Saturday night, stared each other down inside The Pelligon, Canary Wharf.
The egg that Eubank Jr used two months ago was a nod to the WBC explanation of Benn's two failed drugs tests that they said could have been caused by 'highly elevated egg consumption'.
He ended up being fined an eye-watering £100,000 for the incident that enraged Benn and his father Nigel - who famously shared the ring with Eubank Sr in the key context to this new iteration of the family rivalry.
It was their first interaction of what will no doubt be must-see viewing this fight week but there were no shenanigans this time, with the pugilists kept well apart for their obligations.
Eubank Jr's delayed arrival kept those in attendance waiting but it was Benn who was first out for the cameras.
Security kept Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn far apart during the face-off on Tuesday
There was no explosion of anger from Benn, who had been smashed by an egg in Eubank Jr's hand at the February press conference
Benn wore shades on the stage, while Eubank Jr donned a fur coat and cut a composed figure
He kept his composure, while his promotor Eddie Hearn spoke about the magnitude of the domestic showdown, which he compared to Carl Froch vs George Groves.
Hearn said: 'This is the biggest fight outside heavyweight since Froch vs Groves, the biggest rivalry in British boxing at a sold out Spurs stadium.
'The narrative was there before and now there's two years of bad blood. These are two world class fighters in their divisions.
'I think Conor will look sensational, he wins by KO on Saturday, you'll see a demolition job.'
Eubank Jr's prediction was unsurprisingly in contrast to those words and he believes he will play the matador to Benn's raging bull this weekend.
He said: 'I keep hearing weight classes thing, he's put pounds on, it's not size or weight, it's skill, dedication, expertise, all those areas I excel in and that will be the deciding factor.
'I am a complete fighter and have been doing it for so long. I've forgotten more than he knows.
Egg-gate took place in Eubank Jr and Benn's first face-to-face in Manchester in February
Eddie Hearn predicted that his fighter will knock Eubank Jr out on Saturday night
When asked if there will be similar antics to the egg he smuggled in and smashed on Benn at the fight announcement press conference in February, he was non committal, saying: 'Shenanigans? I do what I believe is right and what I want to do.
'The procedure will be parliamentary, everything will go the way I want, I'll be like a matador, he'll be like a bull.'
The failed tests scuppered the originally scheduled fight in 2022. A two-year court battle followed as Benn, who has always maintained his innocence, sought to clear his name before his BBbofC suspension was lifted in November.
All being well, this Saturday, the rivalry of their famous fathers and years of bad blood will be settled in one enormous showdown in front of 60,000 fans.
