5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce - Eubank Jr v Benn 2: The Debrief

Episode Date: November 16, 2025

Will there be a trilogy? Richie Woodhall joins Buncey to reflect on Conor Benn's points win over Chris Eubank Jr, They hear from both fighters and promoter Eddie Hearn.

This is Five Live Boxing. It was the rematch we wanted in the venue we love. But the fight was odd. It was strange. He never really took off. Connor Ben dominated it. And when it was over after 12 rounds and there was a knockdown in the last round, when it was over after 12 rounds, all three judges went heavily in favour of Connor Ben.

Chris Eubank, he looked broken, to be perfectly honest with you. This is going to be the story of a very odd fight. odd fight. I'm Steve Bunce and this is Five Live Boxing. So we didn't get round 13. It wasn't the fight that some people wanted, but it was the fight in many ways that we should have expected because they left so much of themselves in the ring back in April. Just like their fathers left so much of themselves in the ring in Birmingham back in 1990. So when they met three years later, still an enthralling, fight. Couldn't take your eyes of it, but not that fight. Richie,

I've got to be honest with you, it was an odd fight at times, wasn't it? It was a very odd fight at times. All three judges going heavily in favour of Connor Ben. Conor Ben dropping Chris Eubank in the last minute. It was desperate times in that last minute. Could have been stopped if there had been

another 30 or 40 seconds. And we've got to get it out there straight away now. Before there's all sorts of excuses. Obviously Chris Eubank wasn't right. But Connor Ben was superb. Yes, he was. I couldn't believe what I just witnessed, to be quite honest.

It was a weird sort of contest. And it was strange right from the opening bell. The opening bell went and Connor Ben, as we expected, shot across the ring, took the centre. And Chris Eubank, Jr., sort of came out very tentatively and then went on the outside. And it was really difficult to see what the tactics were. he was very negative sort of just trying to keep his man at bay behind a fairly weak jab

and he just didn't look right from the opening belt but you can't take anything away from Connor Ben who got the tactics absolutely spot on and he started it really quickly and in a right positive frame of mind but in the opposite corner Chris Eubank Jr he wasn't at the races and he wasn't at the races from very early on in the contest From the very start. I mean, he didn't look right from the first couple of rounds. He looked cautious. He looked wary.

We were going to hear a little bit later on from Eddie Hurd and also from Conner Ben and Nigel Ben when they left the ring. It came and spoke with us. And we were all here from the two boxes who were interviewed in the ring by the zones Jamie Wool. But let's just do a little bit of homework, so to speak. The scores were 11910, 116, 110, 118, 118. I've got to be honest with you, I thought it was a genuine shutout with the extra point.

But hey, ho, there's a couple of sympathy rounds in there. But there was an alarming line from Beaumack, Brian Beaumac-McCentire in Eubank's corner at the end of about round nine when he believed that his fight, he said to Eubank that we're stealing the rounds. Compared to what Tony Sim said to Connor Bennett about the same time where he said, you've got to keep on doing it, keep on going. And he actually said, don't let him. him, actually don't let him nick the rounds.

Don't let him nick the rounds. It was a total contrast in the corners as well. I thought Tony Sims was very calm in the corner, very reassuring really and just tried to keep Connor Ben, his eyes on the ball really and just to keep it going, which was sensible rather than saying you're way out in front, you know, literally just see it out now,

but no, he didn't. He made him still stay on his toes, which was the right thing to do. I haven't got a clue what Beaumac was thinking, Steve, to be quite honest. I just didn't see the fight. He was looking at.

He wasn't nicking the rounds. He was getting well beaten. It was just a very negative sort of display. Yes, occasionally, you know, he did some good work on his back foot. But there was no real positive work of pushing the opponent back. But over three minute rounds,

you can't win a, well, you shouldn't be out of win a fight by landing a couple of shots. No. Because what he did, Connor is that if he wasn't landing the big shots, he was still tipping away with the jab. He was still tipping away with the jab. And he was working those bodies shots.

Only two or three. No more than two or three a round. But do the simplest mathematics on there. If it's 10 rounds, you've been hit with 30 good body shots and they do take a toll. You know, Steve, you know, I'll stand up and put my hand up and say, I got it totally wrong because I did expect a different fight. I expected a much more positive Chris Eubank Jr. and I expected him to dominate it more with his jab

and listening to Beaumac before the contest and sort of his take on it, him saying, yeah, we're going to make it easy for ourselves. Well, you make it easy for yourself because you're the bigger man and you use the jab and you keep your distance. And I thought that's the road they would go down. But totally the opposite.

The tactics was to stay on the back foot, try and bring him on to shots. But he just wasn't positive enough. He wasn't working enough. And he wasn't sort of, he was a bit tentative as Connor was coming forward. And he wasn't really, at no real point in the fight, did he look like that he was trying to push on him and to win the contest? There wasn't that look of a winner in him.

Ever. Which really surprised me. In the first fight, Steve, he looked like a winner that he wanted to win the fight. In this fight, he never really looked like in his face, his expressions, his body language, or a smoke. No. It was very, very surprising, very odd. Now, we may find out in the next 24 hours, the next 48 hours, the next week,

we might find out exactly what it was that was the problem, because there was a problem. So whether there was an injury or whether he's going through some personal stuff, I don't know, but I wouldn't be a... Well, you know, Steve, I knew there was a problem probably halfway through the fight in one round. He actually looked up at the screen. It was constantly going to the screen for the time. To see, and he was looking up at the screen quite early on

in sort of the fight, maybe halfway through. He's looking up at the screen to see how long he's left in the round. When you see signs like that, mate, you know that something is wrong. But the interesting thing is, Rich, I was around them. Monday, five hours, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. I was around. I was talking to loads of members of the team. I had a quick word with Chris Eubank, the father, Napa, who's around him.

All sorts of people in and around the team. And listen, I'm not saying I'm the best detective out there. But I didn't get a cent. And I didn't get a single sense that there was any problems, okay, whatsoever. And if there is a massive one, and it's going to be one of those classic things, we have one in boxes, well, I knew there was a problem. That's rubbish. I'm telling you now.

But that's neither here nor there. That might happen. What I do find alarm, we're going to hear from the boxes in a moment is after about eight or nine rounds, people were booing. They were booing. They're entitled to, I guess. They've paid their money. but I still found it intense and engrossing.

I think they were booing, Steve, because they just expected another toe-to-to-to-to-to-to-crapers that I've been saying all week, a to-to-to-to-reel slug fest that they had in the first contest, and they were probably really disappointed that it wasn't turning out like that. It was a very, very surprising display from Eubank, and I think it surprised the crowd.

It surprised everyone. No one expected it. Listen, I've been speaking to fans all week, and I've said to you before, Steve, it's been 50-50. People I've spoken to, some have gone for Ben, some have gone for Eubank, and it's been a 50-50 split. But no one, not one person that I spoke to for Ben thought he would win like that. No. No. In a shout-out boxing lesson, no way.

Absolutely. None of them thought they were out boxing. I thought speed and youth might be a massive factor. But, you know, even I'm not going to claim I thought it would be a 12-11. round shutout and he drops him and nearly stops him in the last. That's for other lies in our business to claim. I was claiming a six round boxing lesson and then a war. Steve, I've spoke to Ben fans that thought he was going to,

that Ben was going to stop him, going to stop him late. But a war. But in an absolute war and he would eventually get to him. I don't think anyone could have expected him to out-box him. He out-boxed him. He was out-boxing him with the jab, which I never thought would happen. Fantastic, really. So we've had a 90-odd-thous thousand at Wembley with

Usik and Dubois. We've had 66 or 67 and 65 or so tonight. We've had five or six, 20,000 sellouts in major arenas. We've still got stuff coming. We've got boxing return into BBC television where there'll be multi-millions. We've got, we've got a January pact. It's mid-November. We've got a January pack with the best January I think I can ever, I can ever remember. How we? It is absolutely storming. So it wasn't the fight we perhaps expected, but nevertheless, It was still, you couldn't take your eyes off here. And Connor Ben was magnificent. Afterwards, they both spoke to Jamie Ward from Dizone in the ring.

I got one on your night. Yeah, do you know what? I want to thank everyone who's come out tonight. Oh, it's been some journey, and I feel like this is the end of the Benue-Banks saga. Diamond finished, it's over. I know Chris has twins coming, and I've got my... My boy, but this ends here. A completely different fight, Connor, from the first one in April and a completely different performance from yourself.

What felt differently in the ring tonight for you? What everyone's saying, I can't box. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. How about that? You push for the finish right until the very end, Connor, after 24 epic rounds with your arch rival, Chris Eubank, Jr. What do you have to say about him? I just go quiet real quick. I mean, listen, this wouldn't have been what it was without Chris. And our dads, most of all, this is generational.

This has never been done before in history. So credit to Chris. Credit to Chris, man. That's all I've got to say. Thank you for sharing the ring with me. We'll see if we can grab a word with Chris Eubank Jr. Wonderful to see the response. Not bad for two silver spoon kids, eh?

Chris, commiserations, Chris, the verdicts from commentary was that even from round one, you didn't quite look yourself in the ring tonight. What went wrong tonight, Chris Eubank Jr.? Yeah, I've been through Helen Back to get to this night and it is what it is. I tried my best and listen, the kid fought hard, he fought tough. he's got power with this kid he was bigger than me on the scales I don't know how you did it I'm looking at him

he's 168 unless he's about my what the hell's going on but listen we put on a show and yeah Connor Ben was the best man tonight so congratulations to him what's next for you Chris

I know it's very fresh but it is one a piece Connor says it's the end of the Eubank Ben saga what's your opinion on that this one one I've got to go away and deal with some of things I've been dealing with over the last couple of months and who knows whether we'll see something new with me and him maybe we won't but for right now it's all about this man it's his night congratulations.

Commiseration Chris but congratulations on being a wonderful sport and we look forward to seeing what is next Connor if it's not the trilogy next back down to one four seven what's next for Connor Ben I fancy barriers for the WBC world title Ryan Garcia Roly Romeroe Devin Haney, all of them youngs can get it any day of the week and twice on Sundays. So you bank hinting there, Ritchie. We'll talk about, you know, Cotter Ben and the emotion and his voice. In fact, in the moment we'll hear a bit of the emotion in his voice.

But Eubank hinting there, what he's had to go through the last couple of months. Now, whether that comes out through the night, because we're recording this at about midnight or whether that comes out in the next few days, I said earlier, if something comes out great, I just don't want whatever comes out to take anything. away from what Conner Ben pulled off No, well listen, he certainly hinted that there's something wrong in the buildup

but he didn't harp on about it and fair play to him He didn't jump on it He more or less He was admitting this and I was beaten by the better man tonight And he did say that quite clearly And that's fair play to me There has been a problem somewhere

We'll probably no doubt find out about it But he hasn't used that as an excuse He said this guy beat me Fair and Square tonight he was the better man, which I thought was very respectful, and I was impressed with that. Yeah, in some ways, Rich, there were moments there tonight

when you saw Chris Eubank perhaps get his feet in position or get set to throw a shot. But every now and again, if he threw one shot, then the second shot came, but it wasn't like it was a combination. It wasn't, there was no fluidity. There was no, I mean, I'm still sort of marvelling. I mean, I know that Conner Ben was then sapping in with a body shot. and he couldn't miss him with the big jab,

the double jab. You preached all week, the double jab. You were talking about you back and not about Ben. And then Ben must have been listening to the pods on the shows that you did because he adopted Richie Woodall's tactics. In the end, I hate to say it. And I spoke to Tony Sims when after the fight before he rushed back here and we didn't recall it because everyone was a bit,

was a bit chaotic, a ring side. And he said, he looked at me, he said, it was kind of easy. Well, it was kind of easy. But sometimes, Rich, if a fighter follows a plan, you make fights easy. That's the coaching dream, isn't it? You know what, that was easy, son?

Because you listen to me. How many times people tell you that when you box someone's ears? Yeah, very true. And I think one of the reasons why he made it easy for himself tonight as well, Connor Ben, is that I thought that during the fight,

he was probably as surprised as a lot of people in that he was expecting much more from Eubank and that gave him confidence to go forward even more press on, catch him with these jabs he probably couldn't believe what he was experiencing himself because he expected a much tougher fight I thought Connor Bended but fair play to him

he stuck to his guns, he stuck to his boxing and he outboxed a bigger man with a longer reach let's forget it right and you know his timing and his accuracy and his power and his car. Everything was right. He ticked every box tonight for me, Conner Ben. Before we hear from Eddie Hearn, I suppose I've got to ask you,

did we see Eubank become the old man tonight? You know, that was his seventh, 12th rounder. No, he's his eighth 12th round, excuse me. Eighth time he's gone 12 rounds, and he's also had three, he also stopped three men in the 10th round of other 12 rounders. So that's an awful lot of training camps. He's now been a professional boxer for longer than his father,

was a professional boxer. That war with Billy Joe Saunders was in 2014, and it's been revealed by him on a BBC, the BBC program that he's about to become the father of twins. Which can change you, you know. So you're going to become a father, that's there. You've got the pressure of the fight and the training camp, that's there. Sometimes something that looks so big can be created by a dozen things.

the perfect storm scenario. So a little bit of this, a little bit of that, a little bit of this. Remember when AJ lost to Andy Ruiz, that was not one thing. It was like 15 tiny things that combined to create a perfect storm. What do you think?

We're going to talk about what happens with Connor Ben once we've heard from Eddie Hearn, but what do you think happens with Eubank now? I actually think there will be a trilogy fight. Go on, Richie, boy. I really do. You don't. You don't mess around, Rich, do you know, I thought that straight away.

As soon as they says, it's over, it's over. One-one, it's over. It's over, it's over. It can't be over if it's one-one. He can't be over, Steve. It'll be, I think there will definitely be another fight. You know, he'll go back, he'll lick his wounds, Chris Eubank Jr. Listen, it might be a catchweight.

It might be a catch weight. But, Rich, we've never had. terms of over the 160 limit. I'm not disagreeing with you completely. I'm only half disagreeing with you. But what I think, why I think that might be ruled out is two things really.

I think that Connor has some genuine, we're here from Ed in a moment. I think Connor has some genuine business at welterweight or like middleweight. So I think he can win a world title next year. And also I think that the real score of that fight tonight was 12-0 with a knockdown in. in the last round.

You can, sure, you can sell a trilogy because of the family history, but it's quite tough. I'm not sure we're doing a set. I'm not sure we're doing $69,000 and $65,000. The thing is, though, Steve, sorry, Richard. It's, if Chris Eubank Jr. can walk away from that contest and be settled in his own mind that, okay, it's 1-1, and, you know, I'm not bothered about doing it again.

I find that hard to believe. Connemouth business, but Chris Eubank, He might want the rematch. He might want the remit. He might want a trilogy fight thinking this is unfinished business. I don't want to end this story that we've had with our families in this way, in such a negative way, in one response, in one way. One way.

Because at the end of the day, it was a convincing win for Conner Ben. And I just don't think deep down that Chris Eubank Jr. will be satisfied with that to walk away from it. And that is, that what you heard there is a boxer talking, okay? That's a boxer talking. You know, and he's looking at me as if I say, Buncey, listen, I know that you've been around a long while, but you don't quite get this. Because the boxer in Ritchie recognizes the boxer in Newbank.

He won't be satisfied with us, Steve. And that's why I only partly disagree with you. You understand me? Because I'm not arrogant enough to think that my opinion override your opinion. So I know exactly where you're, you're, your two. talking about from your heart and your soul. That will find out. Another person that's heavily involved,

we talked about unfinished business and the families being involved. It's, of course, Eddie Heard, who was only a little boy when these two started fighting each other. He's been around. I think he was a sort of teenager or even younger than that

in the rematch at Old Trappard. So I caught up with Eddie and wanted to go through everything that happened. I think it obviously was a very different fight to the first fight, but it needed to be to win so convinced. convincingly because we're fighting a guy that's much bigger.

But I always said Conor Ben is much better than Chris Eubank, pound for pound. But the issue is it's not pound for pound. It's at the middleweight limit. And, you know, I think that for, I think Connor Ben said something in the press conference that really now after that fight rings true, which is he took his soul in that first fight. And Eubank tried. He got hit to the body earlier. You could just see every round.

Yeah, just like the power was too much. I just, you know, it wasn't afraid. but just like the memories of that first fight and the frustration that he couldn't get going. His feet were sloppy and Connor's feet were really good and obviously the 12th round was a bit hard to watch and I thought the ref maybe could have jumped in but there was 10 seconds to go

and it was lucky it was the end of the round because it was going to be a brutal finish. It's funny you should say the word afraid even though it maybe wasn't the word you're searched for because we thought in the commentary from the end of round one that he looked overly cautious Eubank, wearing. Because I think you have the memories

of the first fight and, you know, you feel the power. Connor Ben's like a young man. He's like a lion in there. You know, and if you're not a lion anymore, and Eubanks are a very tough guy. But you get to the stage in your career where it's like, you know,

you're obviously making a lot of money, you've made a lot of money, you've got a lovely life and Dubai or wherever. Do you really need to be in there going to the trenches again? And maybe that's his lot. You know what? I've seen you celebrate

and I've seen your dad celebrate over the years, but that tonight, just had that something special about it. Because obviously, you know, was a venue bank and I grew up with that rivalry. I looked over, I could see my dad, yeah, my mum, you know, and, you know, I was just sort of nice. Yeah, but everything sort of come flooding back to you, do you know what I mean?

Like, my childhood and like, you know, but I was just more pleased for Conner to be honest with you. Like I said, he was, he was finished, mate. He was in a terrible place, mentally, emotionally, financially, yeah, just the year ago. And honestly, I didn't know, like when we were waiting for the news of the case and stuff like that. I was just praying, thinking, if he don't get through this, I don't know what he's going to do. He's banging Trump. Yeah, and, but what he did was, he worked every day. He never stopped going to the gym. He never stopped going to training sessions. He just kept the faith

and just kept on grafting, and it just turned for him on a six-pence, and that can happen to anybody, and I think he's a great example for that, you know? Is that why we got this Movember sponsor? Yeah, I mean, that's not, you know, that's not for Conorben, but that's fitting because it's like sometimes, and I think the important thing with him to know is, is that I believe that a lot of these situations are caused through financial difficulties. He was in that. This wasn't just a guy that was taking a bit of stick on Twitter. He was deep in financial problems because he was using everything he had to keep going. Even when people said, look, just give up. And what you do is just go and do a deal. He went, nope, I'm not doing it. Sell my car. Sell this. I need to keep going.

I didn't do anything wrong. You know, and still people are. I don't believe and that's fine, but just understand what he went through to get here. And that would, that built his resilience and that will make him a great fire. No, I hate to throw it forward, but I've got to throw it forward a little bit. Back down to 147 he wants, there's fights there can be made, 154 that can be made. He'll be out a couple of times next year in stadium fights, won't he? Sure, I mean, look, he's one of the biggest stars in British boxing now, 29 years old, and a great kid as well, great personality, great story, and a great fighter.

Like, you're going to see much better performances like that once he's back at his natural weight. But he's exciting. That was him being ultra, reserve tonight, winning 11-0 and in the 12th still going for it to try and stop him. And you see how exciting he's when he's going for the finish. I'm not sure I've seen you this excited from a personal point of view. I've seen you jumping around when AJ knocked out Charles Martin. But there's something personal about this.

As you mentioned there, you've got a flashback to your childhood. Yeah, I just feel like we had a bit of a run. And that was, excuse my language, and that was kind of based around Connor. Like we stood by him and we took a massive amount of stick with it as well. But I wasn't, I've truly believed him and I wasn't going to just let him. him be crushed by everybody, so I backed him. But in turn, we took a load of stick as well. And then through that stick, we started getting smashed as well.

Like Anthony Joshua lost to Dubois, we lost the 5v 5-5, 5-0. We couldn't buy a win. And it's like, when's things going to turn? And then all of a sudden, you come here tonight. It's like, blind me, we've got Ish against Sam Gilly, and we got Jack against SOS. That's two matrimed Queenstbury fights. And we win them two-nil. And then I'm thinking, my God, we can win tonight.

And then we win the whole thing, and it's like, can it get any better? So, but I've learned over the years, rough with this movement. Like, just because tonight's a great night, next week might be terrible. So you just got to go to bed tonight, lay there and go, thank you God. That was a great night. Go easy on me next week. And maybe next week will be a great week as well. But like I said, I'm long enough in the tooth to know it don't always last.

This two shall pass. Can work both ways, you know? Eddie Hearn there, getting a bit emotional, if you don't mind me saying. So I was pushing him a little bit. I thought, listen, I've had a good night, but if I can make Eddie Hearn cry, I would have had an even better night. Because coming up, I nearly make Connor Ben cry. That's nothing, Richard, at the Olympics,

I made every single one of the British boxers cry. Every single one. Honestly, I did. I made every single one of them cry. I had Rosie Eccles sobbing on me, but I had blood and tears all over my shirts for Rosie Eccles. I had delicious cry. putting his arms around me, I made them all cry.

Fantastic. Even Pat Brown had a tear in his eye. The rest of them was sobbing. So it's nothing new me making boxers cry or being around boxers when they cry. Eddie Hearn talking there about the fights that he can win, the world to weight champions and the light middleweights. That's what I'm saying.

I think there's some great business there. Plus, as Eddie said, he's in his prime right now. Yeah, he's in his prime. I said that. He becomes a world champion next year. He'll have a defense outdoors. We've got two massive stadiums. Yeah, too right. And, you know, and Eddie stuck by him, hasn't he, all the way? Oh, as he stuck by him, yeah.

And fair play. And they'll now, obviously, hopefully go on and win a world title down at 147. I think he's good enough to do that. I think he's strong enough. Over these last two fights, he's, like I said to you before, see, I was really impressed with him in defeat in his first fight, how he sort of held him together. And more impressed the day with the position and the temple. Oh, absolutely. I was impressed with him today for totally different reasons. his boxing ability. I didn't think he could box that good.

And that's all due respect to him. I always thought he's a front foot pressure fighter. He'll take a shot to land a shot. But tonight, he showed me a different side to his boxing behind his jab, which you know, Steve. I love boxes behind the jab. Those jabs to the body. And one-two's to the body.

Out range. Fantastic. So, yeah, he's really gone up in my estimation in terms of his boxing ability tonight. So just to say, if you're listening to this, but you've not seen the fight, but maybe you've spoken to. someone who says, you know what, it wasn't a great fight. No, it wasn't a humdinger. No, it wasn't. It wasn't a fight of the year contender

like the other one, which is probably going to walk away with fight at the year, maybe even global fight at the year. But you still, take it from me, and we were actually on the ring apron, take it from me, you couldn't take your eyes off it. Because you wasn't sure if Ubeck was going to connect or land. You wasn't

sure if Conner Ben was going to get carried away, so you could not take your eyes off it. When it was... And I'll tell you what, Steve, the crowd, if we They hadn't have had the first fight. The crowd wouldn't have booed that. No, of course they wouldn't have. They booed it because the first fight was so good and they expected the same.

Absolutely, they did. And good luck to, by the way, it was a phenomenal crowd. So when it was all over, I said, Jamie Ward, you've heard from Jamie earlier on talking to the two fighters. But we still wanted to get a little bit of it. And we were just summing up. Stacey Copeland was just summing up, and you and I were talking. And I caught Connor Ben's eye. And he came over, jumped out of the room.

Brilliant. It was beautiful stuff. He came down and we managed to, we managed to just about, Kate was in charge of our social media. She stuck the microphone up and we got a lovely piece with Connor Ben. And then his father, Nigel, came along. We reminded Nigel that his son was one up on him. It was a bit of slapstick and it's probably not going to be put together too neatly. But try and imagine, it's half 11 at night.

We've just watched that fire. We've done a four-hour broadcast. Connor Ben has just changed his family's fortunes. He jumps out the ring, his father jumps out the ring, and we get them. This is us with those two. Clan Ben, the fighting Ben boys. I love this little bit. Do you know what?

To everyone saying that I can't box. It was like, hold on the minute. It was like, you know, that chip on your shoulder that you sort of get. I used that. That was my fuel every single day. What, you've got to think I can't box? You think I've got bang them all out all the time? It was like when I went to America.

That was my third 12-rounder in my career. Both fat heavier weights. You were patient, you were brilliant, you didn't fall for any tricks. You got better as each round went on, son. I don't think everyone realised the sort of emotion I had going into the first fight. A strong mind can carry a weak body, but a strong body can't carry a weak mind. And I may have looked apart, but mentally I was broken. I was broken.

Like, I was broken still. Do you know what I mean? So I had to get in the ring. I was not ready to get in the ring to just provide. I'm a dad of two kids and I know you say, oh, your dad's a millionaire? You think I'm going to ask my dad?

What, out of pride? You think me as a man I can get my dad to bow me out and that was my sort of mindset. I weren't ready to fight but I didn't want to let the opportunity pass because in boxing, you never know what's around the corner

you've got to take the fight when it's there and that's what I've done. Listen, you deserved it tonight, you deserved every bit of it and your old man over the corner as you say, you've got one up on him. He's going on you, son. That's it now.

He's going on you. Why? I'm not going to hear the end of it. You're never going to do the end of it ever. Connor, thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate that son. Knight, from the very first round, we got the fight you told us we were going to get.

Him being smart, you said all along, we didn't see the best of him in the first fight. That's all you said to him on that day. That's right. And that's all we saw there. And you know what it is? He only really caught him flush. Oh, Rich.

How are you, mate? Nice, brilliant, mate. Well good. Yeah, he only really caught him in the last. last round. And like, you know what? But I'm glad that he's done 12 rounds at pace, bobbing him weaving, not taking all these thin shots and taking his time.

And he produced the goods. And that's what you promised me after the last fight. You said, Buncie, we haven't seen the best of him, we'll see the best of him. That's right. And that was him tonight. That's it, but now I'm glad this fight's over because it's going to end now. So all over. All over.

Now what he needs to do, drop back down to 147, fight for the WBC. for the WBC and I'm happy with that. But the problem is, Nigel, before I let you go, you've got grandsons. No, no, no, no, no. Don't talk, I'm telling you. This grandson's in the office. Listen, it's not being honest as you.

I can't act anymore, mate. I'm telling you, mate. What they do, they suck the life out of a press conference, mate. That's it. Oh my gosh. Sorry. You're going to retire. See you, Nig.

Both of them getting emotional there. Lovely, lovely bit of fun, lovely bit of slapstick. Let me just say Steve Go on Sam That's why you're the number one boxing Journalist And I'll tell you for why

Because they literally seen you They've seen our position But they've seen you And they got out of the ring To speak to you And we wouldn't have had that in those interviews Unless you were there And I'll tell you what

That was something for the BBC That is brilliant Oh well done Rich No Jeremy works out The Paddy the Paddy the Paddy the Paddy the producer will cut that straight out. But if he doesn't, good.

Now, listen, that was great to come out. Yeah, it was fantastic. Yeah, that was absolutely brilliant. Connor Ben, let him have a rest, let him do what he wants to do. If they end up having a third fight, I'm not so sure about the third fight, but I understand why.

Getting one of those well-to-weight, world titles, or even light middleweight to make perfect sense. That would make the trilogy even a bigger fight there. Oh, that's an interesting point. He's a world champion. Getting one of them, he's 29. just it's going to be a special run with Connor Ben. Ritchie, what's your takeaway from tonight?

Just in one sentence. One sentence. An utterly a fantastic display from Connor Ben. He won the fight totally against how I thought he would win it. Fair play to him. He showed that he's not only a great fighter. He can box a bit as well the lad can. Fair play to him and congratulations to him.

And Chris Eubang, as I say, this wasn't, as we say, at the racist. to Ritchie. Thanks, obviously, to our team that did it live. Thanks for you for being with us all of last week. A six pod week, come on, my friend, and a live hour show or two, and a fight from Spurs. This business is bigger now than it's ever been. People say to me, oh, it's not the same bunce in. I look at them and I say, not the same. Are you having a laugh? In the 70s, we had about seven shows a year, five British title fights, 230 boxes. now we have that in a weekend. We've got over a thousand boxes at the moment. Honestly, we're producing millionaires.

Like people used to grow giant cucumbers. We can't stop producing millionaire boxes. We've got guys doing this and guys doing that. Next week we're going to be over in Saudi Arabia for Anthony Yard fighting for a world title. His first world title, he went to Russia. His second world title, he fought the unbelievable art of Berturbiev. He had unbelievable two-fif.

He's fighting the so-called best light heavyweight in the world, the man that no want to fight, David Benavides. That's next week. We've got stuff between next week and Christmas every single weekend. We've got British fighters involved on the one weekend just before Christmas. This is the absolute truth. We've got British fighters involved in a show. We've got Dan Aziz fighting Craig Richards in.

You're going to love this. That fight's taking place in Akra-Garner. Then we've got a couple of... Frank Warren's heavyweights, David Adelae, I believe, fighting in Nigeria on the 19th. And on the same night, we've got a British title fight taking place in Lees in front of 9,000. We are a booming business.

Sorry, Rich, you're getting on my high horse here. I don't care. It's late at night. Richie boy, it's a pleasure. It's always a pleasure having you on the pod. You've been with us all week. Thanks for your loyalty. In fact, you've been with us since we launched in 2017.

We're not going anywhere because this business is not going anywhere. I'm Steve Bunce, And this has been a very, very special week. And of course, it has been Five Live boxing. Five Live Sports. The Rugby Union Autumn Internationals. Unbelievable. Rugby Union's elite clash in a bid to close out the year in style.

Oh, what a try. Keep up to date with all the insight and analysis with the Rugby Union weekly podcast. The Rugby Union Autumn Internationals. It doesn't stop. Listen with the BBC Sounds app.