Piers Morgan Uncensored - Chris Eubank Jr & Conor Benn Face Off On Uncensored Before Big Fight!

Episode Date: March 14, 2025

Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn is much more than a boxing match. It’s a family feud, a bitter rivalry and a story of scandal and status. The vitriol is real. They’ll finally face off next month at the Fatal Fury Ring Magazine showdown on April 26 in collaboration with KOF Studio. But why are these men at each other’s throats? Piers Morgan bravely dares to get between these two fighters and dive into the history of bad blood that seems fated to end in a catastrophic clash. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you check this prick for any eggs? I don't need eggs, my friend. These fists are more than enough. I'm just getting my makeup done, Chad. Probably not conducive with two fugitives. I hate what he stands for. I hate what he did. Failing these two drugs tests is unacceptable.

No ban. Clear to fight. No fine. That's why then. I don't care if he's good enough. But that is true. Was there drugs in your system? Maybe not.

None of your business. I think he's an absolute idiot. But big head. Even your dad don't like you. That's an accomplishment. Well, Buzz is slap you right now. on me. Stop monging about it.

And it'll push their stuff. That's a matter of fact. How's that disrespect? You can't give that and not take it. Sport means the world to many people. The athlete sacrificed everything to be the very greatest. The fans see a punishing battle against pain and adversity that somehow, in just hours or minutes, seems to mirror the whole mission of life itself.

And every once in a while, on the very rarest of occasions, it feels even more important than all of that. Chris Eubank Jr. versus Connor Ben is not just a boxing match. It's a family feud, a bit of rivalry, a story of shame, of scandal. 35 years ago, their fathers, Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Ben, thought the first of their legendary title battles. Now, after years of delay, Eubank Jr. and Ben will finally face off. Fatal Fury, City of the Wolves, is at London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26th. It's the first ever boxing card from the iconic ring magazine.

The Bible of boxing for more than a century. And before they face each other in the ring, they're going to face each other tonight in the Uncensored Studio. I'm delighted to welcome Chris Eubank, Jr. And Connor Ben. Well, good evening, gentlemen. Good evening.

I've been watching the press conferences that happened. And there's real hatred here. This is, I've interviewed a lot of boxes. I've rarely detected such a palpable loathing that people have for each other as you two do. That's why we've got two security guys here. I wouldn't normally have that for an interview, but we were advised by your teams that we should do that

in case you start hitting each other. I simply make a plea to you that I know you've done stuff that has played out in the way that it has. I hope we can have a proper conversation about what is an extraordinary moment in British sport when you two fight. I was around in newspapers when your dad's fought. They were two of the biggest fights

that anyone could remember. I've interviewed them both. And I know the rivalry and I know the family history. But I hope for the purposes of this interview, we can get through it in a civilised way and that you both feel you get something out of it. Let me just ask you both, and there's no particular order here. But Connor, when you think back to your dad

and the fights that he had against Chris Eubach Senior, you weren't even born when that happened. but what memories do you have of the aftermath and the rivalry? Well, I mean, it captured the imagination of the public. It was a fight in an era generation where it was heavily spoken about. It was one of the biggest fights of all time. But there's 18.5 million viewers, you know, so yeah, it was a massive rivalry. There were two big personalities, two big styles, people investing character,

and the characters were off the charts. Did it instill in you this feeling that you have for Chris Jr? No, not at all. I mean, at one stage, it was looking impossible. It wasn't even a fight that was on our radars. You know, I'm a 144-7-fire, he's a 160 fire. And our path just happens across. You talk about the stars align.

You could say that. Chris, for you, I mean, I've interviewed your dad at length. And he had some extraordinary fights, not just with his dad, but with people like Michael Watson, who ended up in a wheelchair. I was ringside when Nigel Ben fought Jeremy Clinton, who ended up in a wheelchair. This is a brutal sport. People have died in the ring.

People have been left paralyzed by fighting. When you have a hatred, this is real as this, does that play on your mind? I don't hate this man. I would never give him that type of power over me. I hate what he stands for. I hate what he did. I hate what he represents.

But as him as a person, I'm not going to say I hate him. I'm not giving him that power over me. I don't hate anybody. I've just got to make sure that we set an example here. you know, what he did in failing these two drugs tests, in my opinion, is unacceptable. As you said, people have been paralyzed. People have died. So for anybody who is out there thinking to cheat, they have to be made an example of.

They have to be punished. They have to be embarrassed. And that's what I've been doing. I mean, I interviewed Connor in this very studio. at the height of all the allegations against him. He was passionate in his denial that he'd ever cheated. And we went through a pretty tough grilling that night, and he got very emotional for him.

And I guess in the end, only he knows for sure. But the reality is that all the interrogatory investigatory bodies have cleared him to fight in this fight with you. So you might think he's a cheat, and you're perfectly entitled to your view. But the reality is, if he was a convicted cheat, he wouldn't be able to fight you. So do you accept that for the purposes of your fight

that he's not a convicted cheat? He's someone that you might think he is, but he's not being convicted about. Whether he's been convicted or not as irrelevant, the fact is substances were found in his system. You know, there have been thousands of fighters that have been popped for performance-enhancing drugs. And been banned.

And been banned? And been banned. Every single one. Every single one. I've not received the fine. I've been cleared by free organisations, by the NADP, the WBC, UKAD, no ban, clear to fight, no fine. That's why I don't care if it's good.

But that is true, whether you like it or not. That is the truth of where we are. That very well may be. If that's your argument, you need to do better. It's a perfectic argument. But there are plenty of fighters, even now, in the, in the, boxing today that have failed drugs tests, they've been fined or served, served bands, and then they've been let back into the ring. This is in no way different. He got caught.

He went out of boxing for a little bit, spent a million dollars trying to clear his name. You know what? That's why you're an idiot. Because I've been cleared by free organization, my people are a lot smarter than you. This is you talking personal. Was the drugs in your system? Maybe not. None of your business. I've been cleared for any time. It is my business when you were preparing to fight me. Yeah, but you don't know the insane. You think you know. Me trying to explain it to you.

Hang on, let me ask you, on that point, because you raised it at one of the press conferences. And it's a valid point. Do you accept that these substances were found in your body? There's nothing to accept. No. It's the fact. No?

It's the facts. I never took anything knowingly. I never took anything knowingly. I never took any. But that's a different question. Whether you took it knowingly or not, Do you accept that they were found? I struggle to accept it still. Because you don't want to accept it.

I struggle to accept it. Let's say that he was an accident. No, I need to say that. Let's say it was an accident. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. He didn't know how the drugs got into the system. Wait a second. First of all, let's acknowledge the fact that he's accepted.

I don't need to acknowledge anything. Well, you don't need to, but I do. And the viewers, I think for the point of the viewers, whether he knew about them or not. I'm going to come to that. They were in his system. Chris, I'm going to come to that. For the purposes of the interview, though,

and for the viewers, watching. That's an important admission. We've got it. Hang on. We've got it. Hang on. But it still doesn't, it still doesn't mean you're not guilty. Let me conduct the interview how I want to conduct it. I will come to you for that point you're making now. Because you asked the question, and I asked it on your behalf, and we got a concession from Connor that, yes, the substances were in his body, but you didn't take it deliberately, is your position. I never took anything. Right. Never took anything. Never certainly knowing. Now, your point is that from that moment, and there'll be a lot of people who agree

with you that from that moment, if you're an elite athlete of any kind in a professional sport and they find substance in your body, whether you intended it to be or not. We've seen it with tennis players recently. We've seen it obviously with cyclists and so on, sprinters and whatever, that from that point, everyone should be treated the same and get a ban. But in all of those cases, in all of those sports, the arbitrating bodies investigate and they make a conclusion. And rather like a criminal court, people may not like the conclusion. they may still suspect that person. But if you've gone through due process

and no one can argue he didn't, he went through due process for years, right? It nearly ruined him. And I saw him at his darkest moment in here. And it was dark. This was a guy on the edge. Good. Right, okay.

You might say good. Okay, fine. You're going to be on the edge comment on 206. Okay, and we'll come to the fight in a moment. But just for the purposes of this, if you need to accept you not, due process was conducted. and at the end of it they made conclusions.

You may not like the conclusions. You may not accept the conclusions, but they are conclusions which have allowed this fight to happen without them concluding that he hadn't done this deliberately. You wouldn't be getting in the ring with it. Again, fighters can fail drugs tests and appear back in the ring. It's happened a million times before

and it will happen a million times again. This is what's happened with Connor. Whether he is innocent of knowing, of not knowing that how the drugs got in the system, you're still guilty. Do you accept that can happen? Because as a fighter, it is your job

to know everything you are eating, drinking, putting into your system. If you don't monitor it and somebody slip something in somewhere, which I do not believe, but if that's what he's trying to say happened, it's still your fault, you're still guilty. you're still a drug sheet, and we still have to make an example of it. Connor, you've said to me before, it's been your position, I think,

that you believe it may have come from contaminated eggs. Is that still your position about it? Is that what you think is the... The case is done. I'm not here to talk about a case at all. I'm only asking because he hit you with an egg, obviously. He can do what he wants. He's an idiot, and he's an idiot that's going to get chin come April 26, period.

Irrelevant of what it was, the stars of a line, for me to render you unconscious. Let me ask you, Chris, about your dad and the legacy, and you were a bit older, I think. When your dad first fought Nigel, I think you were about four and then about seven when they fought again. Is that about right? I believe that's...

What memories do you have of either or both fights? I mean, at the time, I was too young, but later on in my life, you know, as I got older, I started to understand what it was my first. father did who he was, what he'd gone through. And I learned that Nigel Ben was his arch nemesis, was the man that put him through hell for years and years and years, was the man that they built their careers, you know, with, the man that he did that with. Why did your dad view him as his arch nemesis?

They fought in front of, you know, 50 million people watched them fight. But often boxers that have, I mean, I remember Ali Frazier had equally ferocious, if not more so, battles in the heavyweight division, but became close friends in later life. That may be. I don't think that these two in particular men have it in them in terms of personalities to ever just be to forget the past and to be friendly. Had they ever been friendly? You'd have to ask them. I don't know I know my father who was the one that said I don't hate that man is similar to me. He doesn't harbor emotion like the bends do We've actually got that we've got that clip actually. Let's take a look at that This man is nothing but he's just he's the real hype. I come up the hard way I didn't have

I've proved myself boy you had your time let's let's have some parliamentary procedure here, all right? Oh God. I have nothing to say to Nigel I find the man intolerable in that he's so wild. I have no time for such people. He has no class as far as I see it. About Nigel Ben, I would say this. The man is a powerful puncher, a very powerful puncher. For this, I would like his autograph,

because after I've finished with him, he isn't going to be anybody. I personally do hate him. I personally do hate him. So is there any point to me asking you to shake hands after signing the contract? No, no, no, no. No, gentlemen, all four of you. Thanks for joining us tonight. Thank you. I mean, I'm struck in me. I'm struck immediately by the similarity with you guys.

And it goes further than just the name. But Connor, your dad there openly saying he hated Chris Eubank, senior. But Chris Eubank not saying that and you're not saying that again here. Do you see a parallel there? I just personally think he's an idiot. I think he's an absolute idiot, but big head. A clean idiot, though. Yeah, but you're still an idiot though.

You're still an idiot that nobody likes. As I said, even your dad don't like you. That's an accomplishment. That's it, period. That's it. Well, let's talk about that for a moment because you have a very good relationship with your father. Unbelievable relationship.

Has he always been good? He's my hero. He's your hero. He's my hero. And he's been there throughout this process at your side. He's probably struggled with it more than myself. Why? I'm his son.

I'm his son. Does he really want you to do this fight? Of course. 100 million percent. 100 million percent. And I wish my dad done more than grab you by the throat the other day. day. His father's upset more than him because he's destroyed his father's legacy. I've not, they...

He's put a black war. He's put a black war. He's put a black war. Against the Ben's name. Talk about destroy your father's legacy. That is... Let me ask you, Chris, because they have a very good relationship, Conor and his dad. You do not currently have a relationship at all as far as I'm aware with your father. What's going on there? What's going on there is life is going on. Sometimes father's... and sons, they don't see eye to eye. They don't get along. They fall out. You know, it's unfortunate

what is happening at this stage in my life with him. Do you talk at all? No, we don't. But how long has it been like that? Years. How long since you last talked to? It's been a long time. Give me a time scale. I said years. Yeah, but I'm only curious, Because there's been so much written about this and speculated and rumoured and everything else. I prefer to deal in talking to people at the centre of all this speculation and getting the truth to end the speculation. I don't think it's an unreasonable thing given you're a Ben-U-Bank rematch about to happen in a ring to ask you about this. I hope you don't. But I think people will be curious how long you've been estranged from your dad. I mean, I've said it twice now. I don't know what more.

Well, you said years, but that could be two years or ten years? A couple of years. A couple of years, okay. And what effect has that had on you? I have upheld the family name. I've never cut corners. I've done my job. I've dedicated my life to this sport.

The U-Bank name is still at the top. It's still relevant. It's still respected. You know, the worst thing Connor's done is put question marks. Well, let's come to that. I'm going to come to... Let me talk. Let me talk.

Okay. He's put question marks against the Ben name because, as they say, like father, like son. So if he's capable of cheating, did his father cheat. I've shown more integrity and resilience that's the past two years that you have done your whole career.

That's now the question that arises. Then you have done your whole career. You're choosing to fight a world or wait. I don't believe. I don't believe his father didn't know what he was doing. I just don't believe. As I said, cleared free time by people were a lot smart. Nigel Ben could have been capable of doing the same thing in this career.

You don't know that. No, I don't. But that's the questions that have now arisen. You're talking rubbish. You're an idiot. Okay, but before we get to questions like that, that may or may not have arisen. And they've arisen because you've been putting them out there.

But just on the relationship with your dad, what was the catalyst for you getting fractured as a father and son? It got to a stage where I needed to, step out of the shadow completely. It's a big shadow. It is. He's also in a big shadow. You both are?

Mine's a blessing, no. Mine was a blessing too, but it got to a stage where I realized I have to separate myself from this huge character that's always next to me. He's different. His father kind of let him do his own thing

and kind of, you know, jump in and sink or swim. My old man was always next to me. And it got to a stage where I decided that I needed to walk my own path. He was not happy with that decision. That's the start of it. Then you have the situation with my brother passing away. That affected him in a deep way.

It affected all of us. I talked to him around that time. I could tell he was profoundly impacted by that. That's right. Mental health is a real thing. That incident, coupled with the fact that we were already not seeing eye to why, destroyed a large part of the relationship. And it still hasn't seemed to have recovered, unfortunately.

Have you made any attempt to get back together? with him? Of course. Has he rebuffed that? No. No he hasn't. So what's stopping you, would you say? What's stopping what? What's stopping what? What's stopping you getting back to talking again? He needs to be able to get over whatever demons he's fighting. Now, this fight, it's either going to enable him to get over those demons, or unfortunately it's going to make those demons grow. I don't know. I still hope he's there on the night, just like his old man will be. Do you think he will be? I honestly don't know. You know, I hope and I pray that he is, and I will do things to try and get him there.

But if he isn't, guess what? I'm still going to go out there and do the job. But it's, you know, when I talk to you, we don't really know each other, but when I talk to you, I know your dad well and I've done for many decades, you're very like him. You talk like him, you look like him. You have the same kind of life views, I think. It must be a very sad thing in your life that you're estranged. Boxing teaches you discipline. It teaches you mental stability.

It teaches you how to deal with impossible odds. My father not being a part of my life anymore. It's sad, it's horrible, it's whatever you want to call it. But I understand that, guess what, there are people in this world, billions of people that are going through things 10 times worse. So I have no right to sit here and complain and feel sorry for myself. And it's just not... If he's watching this, what would you say to him?

I'm here. I'm getting ready for the biggest fight. of my life if you want to be next to me like his father's next to him we can do it together if not no hard feelings i'll get the job done for you don't worry about it do you love him your dad he's my old man it doesn't matter if i don't talk to him until the day i die i'm always going to love him he taught me everything he's indicated this fight means a lot to him that you need to win This is what we've been told. Okay.

I haven't, like I said, I haven't heard from him. I haven't heard indications from him. As far as I know, he doesn't want this fight to go ahead. Do you feel that responsibility to win it for the Euget, given it to Ben your fight? We are both in the same boat. We both have to go forward and uphold the family name. The first fight, that was what it was all about.

Now there's a lot more involved. Now there's a lot more at stake. Now it is personal between me. Well, the stakes have been raised, Connor, because I wanted to explore Chris's relationship with his father because it's obviously significant that your dad's going to be right with you and is. And at the moment, his father is not. And I hope he is there, Chris, senior, on your big night.

It would be an extraordinary spectacle if both fathers are there to watch their son. fight. But there's no doubt the ante has been ratcheted up between you two from not just being Benvi-U bank a generational thing, but also since the last fight got cancelled at the last minute because you failed the drugs test at the time. And the way that he's reacted to that and repeatedly called you a cheat, said he doesn't believe the results exonerates you, inferred, as we've heard again tonight, slurs against your father, association saying, hey, he must have known that you were doing this deliberately.

And secondly, that that, in his opinion, means that maybe your father also did that deliberately, for which there's no evidence. But that's taken things up a lot, isn't it? Not really. I thought he was an idiot then. I think he's an idiot now. The facts are the facts. Relevant of what he believes, he's an idiot.

The facts are the facts. That don't change. But are you aware of the legacy on your shoulders when you get in that ring? Yeah, but my dad loves me regardless. My dad's proud of me regardless. The relationship I have my dad is beyond boxing. It's funny because my dad ain't really, my dad doesn't really care about what I do in my career. My dad cares more about me as a man and about my happiness and about the direction I'm heading.

You don't really, boxing's a now thing. You know, my dad's my hero and I'm my dad's hero. And it's sad to see, to be honest. because we are where we are, whether we like it or not because of our dads. That's true. They laid the foundations. Yeah, we have to work hard.

Yeah, we have to go through adversity. Yeah, we have to go through NEPO kids. But ultimately, this is the blessings of our dads. They laid the foundation for us. So it's sad to see that the relationship ain't working on their end, genuinely, and I mean that. It's sad to see. I'm not saying that.

I'm not saying that being funny, you know, because the relationship I have my dad, it would be great to see you and your dad in your corner. I mean that. No sarcasm or being a... It's hard to believe. No, I mean, well... I've got to be careful, I don't want you to draw me into something.

No, listen, I'm just saying. He's being... I'm being... I'm being serious. Because you haven't heard the things he said leading up to this interview. About you. Yeah.

About you, of course. I think you're an idiot. About our relationship. My father's relationship. Yeah, that don't like you. Yes, I agree. It's a matter of fact. That's a fact.

Him talking about him. It's a fact. I take everything you're saying with a grand assault. I can't help it. Okay, well, it's matter of fact your dad don't like it, why is he be here? It's not really, it's not me just saying that, or speculating that. It's the truth.

But, but, but, okay, okay. You think you know. You don't know what the truth is. You think you know. So right back at you are. But what I'm trying to say to you is it would be nice to see your dad there in your corner. I'm fine. Because at the present moment, it thinks I knock you out.

Again, a matter of fact. I'm not saying that being funny. That's where your dad believes. It's out there. But I genuinely, it's not, again, you may think I'm being sarcastic. We are where we are because of our dads. They've laid the foundation. We are like our dads.

We are the double and carbon copy of our dads. It's not. So it'd be great to see your dad in your corner. And you mend that relationship. and whatever is coming in between you guys it'd be great to see and I mean that that's coming from my heart I'm not being sarcastic

I say what I say and I say and I mean what I say Connor like I said I was ringside when your dad thought Jerome McClellan and there was an interview very powerful interview recently in The Daily Mail with Geraldine who is now cared for by his sister and basically doesn't leave his wheelchair

and hasn't done since that fight and I remember Frank Warren who was the promoter that night saying coming up to me I was editor of a newspaper at the time and he said to me go back to your newspaper because both fighters are going to hospital and we could lose one or both of them tonight.

And it really brought home to me the brutality of this sport. I think it's a magnificently noble sport. I think the courage that both you guys and all the boxes show I've got to know a lot of boxes. And I'd find all of them, heroic people in terms of the courage it takes to get in that ring. But there's also a real danger once you get in that ring. And when the hatred is at the level that you two have,

you know, I remember it with Ben, your dad and McLennan, it was real. And when they wanted each other, to be ringside, to see the power they hit each other, the ferocity, it just felt animalistic in there. Do you fear that could happen again here? No, not at all. It's not my intentions,

and I assume that's not Chris's intentions. Ultimately, I don't like the man, and I don't have to like him. Every single person I fight, I hit with bad intentions. It's the name of the game. We know what we're in for. We know what we've signed up for. Our life's always on the line.

That's our choice. You know, ultimately we prepare extremely hard. We're elite athletes. We do the best we can. But the end goal is to never ruin someone's life. Our goal is to go in there and beat the other man. Do you feel the same way, Chris, if you're honest? Honestly, I'm shocked he's speaking like this.

It doesn't match the energy that I've been seeing over the last few days. And, you know, I don't like it. You know, it's true. What he's saying is true. But, you know, this is not, this is not as a fighter supposed to be the mentality. going into a fight. What's your mentality? My mentality is search and destroy.

I've been in fights where I have hospitalized people. Nick Blackwell, you know, he died on the way to hospital when we fought. He was revived with an adrenaline shot to his heart. now he doesn't walk or he you know he doesn't he doesn't speak well and you know he's he's he's been severely affected by the fight that we had going through something like that it makes it real and it makes

it turned me cold because I knew that this is possible this isn't a movie this isn't a video game uh this happened and it could happen again it could happen to me if I don't dedicate myself myself. So I'm extremely passionate when it comes to that. So you can understand my disgust and my upset obsession with the fact that Connor got popped because, you know, performance announcing drugs increase the chances of tragedies like this happening, which is why I just, I can never forgive him. Can never forgive. So when you get in that ring, are you just going to be as ferocious as you can possibly be? Is that the natural instinct that you feel?

Absolutely. And it's the same for him. He's, you know, he's, he's talking it down a little bit right now. But the truth of the matter is, still going to render you unconscious. There you go. I want you to get up. That's what we want. That's what I want to hear.

Yes, I do want you to wake up. I'm still going to flatten you. Period. So let's not, I'm not trying to downplay it. And that's the mentality. He's asking about my intentions. Yes, I want you to get back. up yes i want you to carry on nib in your life but i will splatter your head all over the canvas

that's that's good yes that's still a matter of fact that's what i need to hear i need to hear that i need to hear that i i don't want all this soppy bullshit that you guys are trying to get into right now i ain't no soppy nothing no well pears is putting this interview into our direction which i don't want to what's interesting so what what what do you think that and what direction do you think i'm taking it you know exactly what you're doing pier's you're very good at what you do but i'm not falling into the trap. What do you think the trap is? Genuinely curious. I don't want this to be, um, you know, you're not getting any emotions out of me. You think you're being smart, but you know, he's being an idiot. I'm not being smart. You think you're being smart. His is being smart.

No, no, you're being dumb. He got you. He got you. I want you to get back up, Chris. He got you. Do I want you to mend your relationship with your dad? Piers is not getting me. Most of the public do. Most of the public do. Is your dad in my corner come fine, like? Yes, he is, but yes, I would love to see you guys in your relationship. It is sad to see, and life is too short. I don't want to hear about sad. Life is too short.

Me and you are going to be sad when your asses... Are going to get in that wrong. When your asses and it's here come April 26. And we're going to hurt each other. Hopefully that will end your relationship. We're going to hurt each other and follow millions of people. That is the bottom line.

I mean, Conoff, for me, it's interesting because many would think you're taking a bit of a gamble here because you're going up quite a lot in your normal way. He's seven years older and therefore much more experience. than you are. Physically, he seems bigger than you as you sit here together. You're exuding a lot of confidence about this,

but does none of those things concern you? Not really, no, because he's just a man. I don't look at him as, he's a man. I'm not scared of no man. I look at him and he's just been flattened. So why did you try and enforce this rehydration cord? Is it? Just being flattened by a limine?

We're not talking to you. It's just been flattened by a light middle way. You think I'm in the slightest concerned. I will absolutely iron you out. I am going to come in there and stick it on you from the get-go. Straight away. I'm going to come out of there, hot skipping a big right-hand, a big flipping head of yours.

I don't believe you. You don't believe me. No. Would you believe me? What do you believe in? I think you're going to run for your life. Oh, shut up. Talk shit.

You're going to run around that way. You talk rubbish. You're delusional. That's what I think. You're delusional. You're delusional. I'm going to come out of there and stick it straight on you. who's the one who asked for an 18-foot ring

and your mumming going, I won the 22. I'm the one who asked for the 18-foot ring. And you know why I said I said I don't want 18-18? Yeah, exactly. Don't we can't. Whatever your excuses. I've asked for an 18-foot ring. He asked for an 18-foot ring. And that was something that he kind of... No, free knock-down rule in the corner can't save you. That's what he's... I see. I don't want anything else is what an 18-foot ring.

You can have the ring second. You can have the home corner. You can have the name first. I will. I will have all of that. I don't care about all the fans yourself. Just give me an 18-foot ring. Corner can't save you. And no, free knock, damn rule. That's the all I've asked for. Guess what?

I know. That's all you've asked for. And guess what? You're not even getting that. Let me ask you both. I don't care. I don't care about what size the ring is. Well, I am getting that.

I don't care about what size the ring. I don't think it makes any difference at all to the outcome of the fight. Check your contract. But just because you want it. Check your contract. It's not going to happen. Oh, really? I'm not giving you an inch.

Check your contract. Not a millimeter I'm giving you. You don't deserve it. You don't deserve it. Let me ask you both. Let me ask you both about the NEPO baby allegations, right? Which is that you're only getting these chances because of who your father's work.

And that secondly, something Cristiano Ronaldo told me, which has stuck with me, that his sons are, his oldest boys, a very good football player, but he's always going to have to live with being Christiana Ronaldo's son. And that the one thing Cristiano can't give him, give him all the best training, the best diet,

everything, the best advice he can possibly give him. What he can't give him is the hunger that he had, when he was that age because he was genuinely hungry. His family had no money. He couldn't afford to eat a lot of the time when he went to the Sportingisman Academy used to queue behind the back of a McDonald's and two kindly ladies used to give him free burgers.

Otherwise, he'd be hungry. And he said, I can't give him that hunger. Do you guys, you both grew up in wealthy environments and your father's made millions. So you lived in comparative luxury to the life that they led when they were young. Can you get the same hunger? When I watched them fight each other and other people,

the hunger was visceral. It was so tangible. They were both natural warriors. Can you have the same thing if you've been brought up in a much more privileged background, do you think? I do. I think it doesn't matter what sphere or life you come from. Ambition is priceless.

You know, that hunger's there. You're born with it. I don't think it's anything you can. you can just pick up along the way. You think, I wake myself up at 5 a.m. every morning, try and religiously work ethics unmatched to prove to myself how much I want it. So it doesn't matter what your background is.

I ain't got it out of the mud. I don't come from the rags to riches story. So you're telling me just because you have an advantage in life because your dad works so hard that I can't achieve anything on myself. I'm still going to raise my son with the same principles, morals, and families. foundations that my dad raised me.

You can start, it's everyone's, it's everyone's, every parent, it's every dad's job to give their son a better life. Is it not? Is that not why we do what we do? It's why I do what I do. All my sons have the best life he possibly can. That responsibility falls on me to give him the best life I possibly can. Just for then some people to tell him that he can't achieve the same thing, or he can't achieve greatness or he can't achieve whatever it is he wants to achieve. you can do anything you want to do as long as you believe in yourself.

Chris, do you think, the same burning hunger your father had? I've had 37 fights in my career, so my hunger cannot be questioned. You know, yes, in the early stages of my career or my life, I lived in the mansion, we had the nice cars, I went to private school, so I experienced that life. then as so many fighters unfortunately do my father lost everything he went bankrupt

and you know our lives changed I was introduced to you know the working class lifestyle how were you then? I don't know maybe 14 14, 15. Which is a very difficult age to suddenly see

such a dramatic change in lifestyle. For sure. You know, I went from living in a mansion to living above a nursery, you know, in a studio. So for me, you know, even though it was a horrible time in my life, my parents got divorced,

I actually am grateful that this happened because it's, took me out of that comfort zone and it made me, it forced me to figure out how to get back there. I want to get back to the nice car and the nice house and eating whenever I want to eat and not having to go down to Tesco's and and, you know, spend a certain amount of money. I can only spend a certain amount of each week on food. I want to get out of this position I'm in. How do I get back to where I was?

Okay, I've got to get my ass in that gym and graft and work and suffer and win. And that's what I did. You're both in the business of professional violence. You know, many people have a problem with boxing just on print. that people shouldn't earn a living from punching each other on the head. What do you say to people that feel that way about what you do? A lot of people are going to have opinions about everything. I mean, boxing is the classis of combat sports, in my opinion.

It's a great sport and it does a lot more good than it does bad. You feel the same? It teaches you discipline. You know, the kids that are running around on the street, stabbing and robbing, and robbing and joining gangs. Boxing is one of those sports where it can channel that energy and it can take the youngsters away from those environments,

teach them discipline, teach them respect. Once you know how to fight, you actually don't want to hurt people. As crazy as that sounds, is the people who don't know how to fight which are out there trying to fight, to be the tough guys. So I think box.

But he knows how to fight. You know how to fight, but you want to hurt him. Well, that's because we are going to be getting into a ring in a few months time. You know, if he wasn't a fighter and I wasn't a fighter, I wouldn't have any animosity towards him. Just because our fathers fought all those years ago. But they did fight, but we did both enter into the game of boxing, and he did get caught with performance and arcing drugs. All those things have created an extreme dislike between us.

I'm not going to say hate because it's too strong of a word. I mean, at the first press conference, you pulled the stump with the egg, and he smashed it around his face. Some people laughed, others thought it was all good part of the sporting thing. People felt it was quite a demeaning moment to reduce it to whacking your opponent with an egg. I mean, on reflection, are you pleased you did that?

Or do you think that it was a bit childish? On reflection, I wish I had an egg in both hands. That's the truth of it. The egg... You want to get the second one off? I'll absolutely eye. The egg was a symbol. Oh, sure.

It was a statement. What was the statement? That if you cheat, you will be punished you will be embarrassed you will be exposed cleared cleared by people I don't know

and don't care about you you're the one who's an idiot Connor how does it make you feel when he repeatedly calls you with you that's his job because if I was him I'd probably do the same so I get it get it up and you're trying to get in your head

he's trying to spread it he's still going to get ironed out and flattened April 26th it really don't make no difference say what you want the reality is the facts are there's talk factual not opinion not I don't like the the conclusion the facts are

I've been cleared three times by people whose IQ is a lot smarter than him he's got the IQ of a five-year-old child so I'm not going to listen to him if you feel that way and that's great I do not need anything to splatter your head on the canvas I do not need anything at all

it's going to happen regardless April 26 you're going to need to be April 15th you said about you a canvas. Connor said about you that you've underachieved in your career. Massively.

And you're still not out of your dad's shadow. And it is important to note you fought three times since the cancellation of that first fight and you were knocked out by Liam Smith

in January 23. You then avenged that loss by stopping him in the rematch. But to be knocked out by someone like Liam Smith since you were supposed to get in the ring together, does that give you concern

when you get in the ring with him? You know, knocked out is a very strong word. The fight finished with me on my feet begging the referee to let me continue. To me, knocked out means you're on the floor, unconscious, like he says he's going to do to me. So you were, you were stopped. I was stopped by the referee. Um, you can't swim without getting wet. If you fight enough, if you put yourself in these environments, enough times, eventually, there's going to be a little slip up. You're going to get caught. And when he says you're an underachiever, what do you feel about that?

I don't feel anything. I mean, I have proven my worth in this sport. You know, I have paid my dues. I've dedicated my life, and I never cut any corners doing it. So regardless of what people may think or my ability or what I've achieved, I'm clean, I'm true, I put everything into every fight I have, and so I sleep well at night. And let me tell you something, this kid does not.

He has nightmares. I slept like a baby, the first day we faced off. I had like a big warmth in my heart, knowing that in just under eight weeks, I am going to render you unconscious. I slept so good. that night. Genuinely, I slept like a baby.

You didn't get a wink. I slept so good. You didn't get a week. I slept so good. Do you know what? As a matter of fact, I'm going to post my my whoop on that night, on that day. Slept like an absolute baby knowing that I'm going to render him unconscious April 26. The angriest I've seen you actually was when your dad intervened with the egg throwing and put his arm, I think, on your throat. And at the second press conference, you basically threatened Nigel Ben.

said if he did that again, you deal with him. It wasn't a threat, it was a promise. Oh, it's not a promise, is it? You can't touch me. You can't touch me. You can't touch me. You can throw an egg in his face and his father can't. Me and him are fighting.

You're just upset. Me and you are fighting. I'm not upset. You are. I'm not upset. Me and you were fighting. Whatever it happens between us. Happens.

What are you going to do about it? No one else. Tell me. No one else can touch me. Tell me. And if they do, there'll be consequences. Consequences to what? If anyone else.

If anyone else touches me. If I just slap me right now, what are you going to do about it? Yeah, go on, go ahead. Yeah, yeah, talk about my dad. I'm not talking about your dad. No, no, no, no. You told him. Yeah, yeah, but you told him.

I told him. I told him. My old man would never touch you, so your old man's never going to touch me. I'll never slap you. You never slapped me. Yeah, no, you put your hands on me twice since my last fight. When? When?

When? Push. Yeah, yeah, it doesn't matter. You put your hands on me. You put your hands on me. You put your hands on me. Stop moaning about it. Stop moaning about it.

Talk about my dad. You put your hands on me. I put my hands in you. You're talking about. I'll never disrespect your dad. Yes, you would. You disrespected him before. What?

The fact that he don't like you. It's a matter of fact. It's a matter of fact. How's that disrespect? You can't give it and not take it. You fucked up by talking about my dad. You don't fucked up talking about my dad. You fucked up by taking this fight.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's right. What fuck are you looking at? You. Well, come, we can have it outside. No problem. We can have it outside. No problem.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We can. We can. You think I'm mucking around? Frating my dad, you think I'm playing games? Ever talk to my dad like that? Ever talk to my dad like that? Ever talk to my dad like that. Ever talk to, we don't put his hands on your son. Listen, this is the fight game, kid.

You know what I said? This is the fight game. Then we'll meet outside then. And we'll have it out then. Anytime you want, kid. Do you think he was disrespectful, though, too? To threaten Nigel Ben in the way you did? He's only defending his son.

He's defending his son. You may not understand that. What's not running your family? Like that don't run in your family. It could have been glass. It could have been anything. It could have, what you mean bullshit? He didn't know in the moment what was going on.

It doesn't matter what he didn't know. Put your hands on someone's on. If anyone put their hands, if anyone put their hands on my son, I'm telling you. Nigel couldn't defend his son when he wasn't sure what you were using to attack him? Listen, he can do whatever he wants, but I had to issue the warning to let him know

that they can't happen again. And what would you do if he did that again? I said he wouldn't get his hand back. What does that mean? What does that mean? What does that mean? What does that mean? I said it.

You wouldn't get his hand back. What would you do? He wouldn't get the hand back. What does that mean? I don't need to say anything more. Chris, come on. You've got to explain what that means. I don't have to do anything, Piss. You tell him that he's not going to have his hand back.

Why? I made the statement and that's it. What are you going to do to his hand? I made the statement and that is it, Piz. But was it not disrespectful to target his dad? The guy put his hand on my neck. Defending his son? I don't care why.

He put his hand on his neck. There's no reason. I mean, wouldn't you defend? Your children? Yes. If someone did that? Of course I would. Of course I would.

But I'm not talking about me. I'm talking what he did. And I have to, as a man and as a fighter, react to when people... Because the angriest I've seen you, actually, was when he threatened your dad. I love my dad. And I got that.

Because I feel the same way about my father. If he was to put his hands on my son, I swear to God he wouldn't be living. And until you have kids, obviously, you don't, because you don't understand. And your dad obviously never protected you. That's why you feel the way you feel. Which is why you're all.

obviously feel the way you feel. No, it's a matter. Again, it must be the way it filled the way you feel. I was never protected. Yeah, you was probably never, you look like you never been protected. You look like you never been protected. Maybe that's why I'm a hard bastard I am now.

You ain't a hard bust. You just got banged out, mate, but I like middleweight. Don't just hard bastard. You'll find out how hard I am. I'll bustle to who. You'll find out. If you're going to tell you, there's only one making it out. And I promise you on my life.

Yeah, ain't you. Oh, man. If only you knew, kid. New what? New what? What happens to both of you if you lose? Chris, you said ahead of the first scheduled fight that if you lost to Connor, you would retire. Do you feel the same way now?

Yes. So you will retire if you lose? Yes. You know. Really? There is a point in every fighter's life that they will reach when they can't go any further. If I can't beat Connor Bend now, then I've reached my ceiling, which is why this fight is so deathly. important to me because I don't want to retire.

I don't want to give up. I don't want to sail off into the sunset. I still have things to achieve. Connell, what do you feel? You're younger, so... Listen, I'm 28. He's done what he's had to do in his career. He's finished. You wouldn't quit if you lost his fight. No, of course not. Not that I plan on losing the fight. Not that I think I will lose the fight. The reality is you can lose fights. I will lose fights in my career. Not to this man. What would it mean to lose to him?

Oh, it would it mean as a Ben to lose to a U-Bank? Because for viewers you don't remember, you know, your dad fought his dad twice. The first fight, Chris Eubank's senior one. And the second one was deemed a draw. Many felt your father won that second fight, but it was a draw. So as the score card stands, a Ben has never beaten a U-Bank in the ring.

And they never will. What do you say to that? it would be extremely painful. Any loss would. You got to remember I'm undefeated. He's been beat, flattened, knocked out. But to lose to a U-Bank? Yeah, I mean, it would be extremely painful.

Of course it would. As much as he's a U-Bank, it's still a loss, a loss that I would shrug with. You got to remember I'm undefeated. I'm not tasted defeat. His Excellency, Turkey Adars Chik, has said that the winner may get a shot at the title, World title fight, it would be the first

genuine world title fight for either of you. It's an amazing potential prize would put you on the precipice of becoming world champion if you want. What would that mean to you first? I definitely have ambitions of winning a world title still. Either WBC World Tower won the line as either Eubank or the World Title I chose to have this fight

at 116 and I will be dropping back down at 1 4 7 to capture the WBBF. World Tile, but this will be my only fight at this weight. And for you, Chris, you're obviously, you're significantly older. What would it mean to potentially get a World Title fight out of us? I'm a three-time IBO world champion, a super middleweight and middleweight. And outside of... They were interim.

No, they were full World Title belts. Do you feel that they were as valid as... Absolutely. Regardless of what other people say, regardless of, you know, how they view those titles to me, I was a world champion. I am a world champion. Do you believe that, Con?

No, not at all. It doesn't matter what we think. He's asking me my opinion. My opinion is, no. I got offered to fight for the IBO World Tile against Sebastian Formella, who I beat convincingly. But I chose not to fight for the IBO world title,

so I don't lose my ranking in the legitimate other organisations, which is why I'm top five in the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO, because I chose not to fight for the IBO world title just to say I'm IBO world champion. The reality is he fought for the IBO in a leisure center in about in front of 2,000 people. I fought for the IBO at the O2 in front of 20,000 people. Or was it, Quinlan? Who was it?

Renaud Quinell. James DeGale. No, Renault Quinlan, was it? I'm two times. Was it Renold Quinlan? Two times. Was it in James DeGale? from Australia.

Have you ever fought in front of 20,000 people? Was it? Actually, not headline, but I have. But again, what you've done is summed up your whole career, that's your greatest accomplishments. I'm still 28, I've got time. You ain't?

You're an old AP. You're an old age pensioner, mate. You think you've got time. You've actually got two months, and then it's game over for you. Again, talking rubbish. It's been a fascinating interview because it's had very different moments and tones.

There have been times when you've both been very open with me, human actually in a way I wasn't expecting and then other times as we've seen when suddenly hasn't taken much to get you guys at each other's throats there's a lot of simmering anger there between you I think partly genuine animosity between the two of you but also the legacy that you both clearly feel of Ben versus Eubank carrying that generational

burden on your shoulders living up to your fathers who were two of the greatest fighters this country ever produced. There's a lot going on here. I can feel it. There's a lot of complex emotions. What do you think happens when that bell goes for round one? You guys are going to see one of the best fights in British boxing history. That's what I think happens. Connor? You get signed out in four rounds. What do you think happens? The procedure will be parliamentary. To quote your father. Absolutely. It's interesting that even in that moment you're thinking of him, mimicking the way he talks.

We are our father's sons. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as they say. And I will uphold the family name. When we saw your father's together earlier, they refused to shake hands at the end of being interviewed. Would you shake hands together now? Of course I would. No. This is not a time to be

cordial. You know, if there's ever a day that he comes clean about what happened and why it happened, why he failed those drugs tests, then we can talk about shaking hands. Until that time, no respect will be given to this kid. None. Even though he's just magnanimous.

That was so hard for me to do, by the way. Well, I know. It was so hard for me to not slap you across the face when we had that face off. So hard. And my mum would be really proud of me because I promised I won't do anything stupid. And I like to just point out that was so hard for me to do.

Probably one of the hardest things I've had to do in a long time. That's going to be a lot harder. It's going to be easy work. You're easy one. I'm going to flatten you quick and Smith. You can't even shake each other, Sam. I could. I know you've offered to, but you won't do that. What would it achieve, apart from giving you views?

It doesn't give me any views. So why are you asking us to do it? I've told you I don't want to do it. I think that actually it is a noble sport, and that although you're going to be getting in a ring and pounding each other's heads in, actually you can also at the same time have a mutual respect for the fact you're both professional boxes.

And you both know what that entails. He has no class. You just slap me around head with an egg. He thinks he's going to shape. Man, you have zero class. I've shaken the hands of pretty much every man I've ever fought. But if you cheat, that respect goes out the window, I'm sorry. Your opinion.

I can't, I can't, I have to make an example. You know, there are kids that are going to watch this. They need to understand. If you get caught, clit. You lose everything. You lose your respect, you lose your name, you lose, your life. Why don't you accept that he's been cleared by all the official...

I don't want to keep going over it, Piers. But why don't you accept him? He got caught with performance an arts and gods. So why fight him? Why don't I say I refuse to fight this guy? Because this fight is... It's unprecedented. It's never happened in the history of boxing.

And he's going to fight anyway. That's what happens. People fail drugs tests. Cleared, no ban. Cleared or not clear? No, no fine. Oh, of course it matters. They come back and they continue on their careers.

You don't have to fight. I don't have to, but I want to. I want to. So you're fighting, but you won't shake this hand. He's contradicting, he's an idiot. People will think there's a contradiction there. Good, that's okay. I'm, you know, I'm an enigma, as they say.

Some people don't understand me. I'm not here to be understood. I'm here to set an example, and I'm here to get this kid out of boxing. Conner, I want to just before we finish, I want to play a clip from when we did our first interview in here, which was in March, 23, so nearly two years ago now, in which you were a very different character, I have to say, I've been very struck by how different you've been today.

Well, let's just take a look. Why are you trying to label me a cheat? You're not suing the labs, right? Well, there is that tool. You think I've got manufacturing, manipulating and concealing evidence. I've got an independent scientist to look at a report and that's what we've seen from one of the best slabs, manipulation, manufacturing and concealed evidence.

But that wasn't verified by the WBC. What the WBC going to come out and say? That's what I mean. You've got to go to the governing body that can actually look at it properly. Do what? It's hard because I want this to be done. I want this to be finished and I want to resume with my career. You were very defiant there,

but you were also, I could tell you were in the grip of knowing that your whole career may have gone. And you got very emotional later in that interview. And today you seem much more collected, much more confident. You feel like you've got a second chance. You've been through the process. They've allowed you to fight again. Whatever Chris says about constantly calling you a cheat,

refusing to believe it, the reality is if they had concluded you cheated, you wouldn't be allowed to have the fight. That's the reality. How do you feel you've changed in those two years? Yeah, I mean, then it was heightened emotions. I mean, I was a mess. I was a mess, broken. That's been the hardest fight today for sure

because it's a fight that I've constantly had to fight in my head every day, every waking hour. You know, nightmares about it. It was just, it was a horrific time and I feel like I'm through that now. It's done. I've done everything in my power I can. You learn to accept what is. I bet a million pound on my innocence.

That's what I've done. you know so for me it was a matter of I've done everything I can I've handled it That's an interesting point I mean Chris what more could he have done I mean be honest with me What more could he have done

Than what he did What more To state to your desire To disprove the fact he cheated What more could he possibly have done What more he could have possibly done His he could have not failed those drugs tests It's as simple as that

if you fail you're a cheat for the rest of your life but that's not always true is it there are a number of sportsmen male and female who every year failed drugs tests but it turns out after they're investigated it is not proven they did so

deliberately whatever the substance may be and they're allowed to continue performing so it's not true that everyone who fails tests is automatically a cheat in my eyes if you fail in my eyes, if someone was to have pinned him down and jabbed the syringe into the side of his ass and squeezed it in, if that had happened and I saw it,

guess what? He's still a cheat. He shouldn't have let it happen. It's his responsibility to protect himself at all times. He didn't do that. He's a cheat. End of story. I'll give you one last chance.

Don't ask me again, Piz. Just shake his hand. Don't ask me again. I tried. Thank you both for your time and may the best man win in April. He will. He will. It's going to be one hell of a fight that I do know.

Thank you very much. Well, two fighters, two famous families, one remarkable rivalry, Fatal Fury, City of the Wolves on April 26th, the Ring Magazine's first ever card. Don't miss it. I know I won't be.