The Eubank v Benn feud is set for a new chapter.
Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn set the bar for boxing rivalries in the 1990s. Now it looks like their sons will meet in the ring later this year.
Plus, Ryan Garcia is talking a big game and there is a lot of hype around Liverpool’s Nick Ball.
Here are just a few talking points from the world of boxing this week.
A real family feud
In the early 90s, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank had one of the most bitter rivalries in boxing history. There was genuine animosity between the two middleweight fighters and the first of their two historic clashes was dubbed “a war to end all wars”.
It looks now like their sons, Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr, may be set to share the ring, with an official announcement expected soon.
Leaving aside the pleasing historical circularity of it all for a moment though, does this fight actually make any sense?
Benn, 25, usually fights at welterweight, while Eubank Jr, 32, is a middleweight who has previously fought at super-middleweight.
Josh Warrington appeared on the 5 Live Boxing Podcast this week and he feels Eubank Jr was a strong favourite due to the weight.
“Naturally, competing, ten ounce gloves, the bigger man is Eubank Jr,” he said.
“Benn’s too small. We’re looking at a man whose boxed as high as 168lbs. A solid 168lbs and that’s just getting off the scales. Against a fighter who has competed at 147lbs? That’s a big difference between [them].”
The sceptics are saying this could be too big a jump up for the younger Benn.
Meanwhile, some think it could be a smart move.
Bring on the Tank
Following a convincing win over Dominican Javier Fortuna on Saturday, attention turned to Ryan Garcia’s next opponent. The 23-year-old Mexican-American fighter has let it be known that he wants Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis next.
‘I’m going to go old school on him if I have to. I’ll go right to his camp, bugging him every chance to do it. I’m calling him out and making very clear my intentions,” Garcia told Steve Bunce on the 5 Live Boxing Podcast.
“It won’t be easy, but I will make it look easy.”
Davis holds the WBA lightweight belt and has won all 27 of his fights. Meanwhile, after 15 months out, Garcia’s record reads 23-0.
The jury is out on whether Garcia is ready for Davis.
One man who doesn’t seem to have any doubts is Garcia himself.
Wrecking Ball
Meanwhile, there is a lot of hype building around ‘scouse Tank’, Nick Ball, who, like Davis, stands at just 5ft 5ins but also packs some serious power.
The 25-year-old Liverpudlian showed that height doesn’t matter when he stopped much taller opponent Nathanael Kakololo, 33, on Saturday.
It was Ball’s first defence of his WBC featherweight silver title and the excitement around him is building.
Ball himself reckons he’s better than featherweight champions Leigh Wood and Josh Warrington.
We can’t wait to see what’s next in his future.
