Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn LIVE RESULTS: Eubank Jr discharged from hospital as massive rematch mooted
CHRIS EUBANK JR has now been discharged from hospital after his generational grudge match with Conor Benn concluded in stunning scenes in one of the fights of the century.
What started hesitantly soon kicked into an all-out bloody war as Eubank Jr won by a unanimous decision - before the winner was taken to hospital.
Despite suffering a huge cut above his right eye, Eubank Jr upped the pressure on Benn in the final stages of what was an absolute classic and a rematch has already been eyed for later this year.
Eubank Jr walked down into the ring with his father, Chris Eubank Sr, who had made a shock appearance for the big main event.
Follow our live blog below...
Dad to dad
Fathers Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr shared a moment post-fight.
Sat next to his son Conor in his press conference, Nigel said: "He [Sr] was sitting there and talking to me saying, 'My boy's on top'. Oh here we go.
"But to me really, it was just good having him there, staying there, with the family affair.
"We lost. I didn't really speak to him much. But praising my son, I accepted that.
"That was about it really. It weren't no deep conversation."
'Happy you're here'
Conor Benn embraced Chris Eubank Sr in the ring after the fight and he has revealed what he said to his rival's father.
Eubank Sr had a public fall out with his boy in the build-up to the fight and vowed not to attend last night before a dramatic U-turn.
Benn said: "I grabbed him by the neck, I said: 'Mate, I'm so happy you're here. I'm so happy you turned up'.
"Because outside of everything else, outside of all the noise and the commotion and the fight, your relationship with your dad never goes.
"That's always there, that's long-standing, that's without boxing. What's boxing? What is it?
"Because I'll pick the relationship with my dad over boxing anyday.
"So to see them two, if this has brought them together, that's worth its weight in gold."
Credit: Reuters Scorecards
In cased you missed it, here is how the judges scored the dust-up via Ring Magazine.
Credit: Ring
Morning reading
Includes report summing up last night's event and the aftermath which saw Eubank Jr taken to hospital:
Now for the rematch?
Last night Chris Eubank Jr defeated Conor Benn in what can only be described as an all-out war.
We know the rematch will happen because of the clause in the contract.
But we don’t quite know when.
However, there are lots of rumours that it will take place as soon as October – with Wembley Stadium the venue to host.
The England football team will play two fixtures at Wembley in October, so that means the timing is less than ideal
We will wait for more official updates before we get too excited on that one.
But we cannot wait for a rematch.
Credit: Reuters Eubank Jr 'broken jaw'
Conor Benn said in his press conference that he heard that Chris Eubank Jr had suffered a broken jaw in their thriller of a fight.
Eubank Jr was taken to hospital after the fight, in what was described as a precautionary measure.
Benn said: “I didn’t think I lost the fight, I don’t want to be delusional. It was a close fight and that’s it.
“[Having] 14 months out maybe played a factor.
“I wish him well, I know he has gone to the hospital.
“I heard with a broken jaw, I wish him a speedy recovery.”
Benn eyeing revenge
Conor Benn says he is out for revenge in the rematch after being unable to "get the finish" in his loss against Chris Eubank Jr.
Benn said in his post-fight press conference: “I had him hurt multiple times but I couldn’t get the finish so I want my revenge.
“It’s hurt me, I am hurt, nobody likes to lose, close fight or not.
“I look at myself and say it was not good enough, entertaining the public isn’t what I do it for, I am here to win, I work so hard to win. I just need to do better.
“I can box, I don’t always have to knock out my opponents, I can do 12 rounds.”
How the judges scored it
All three judges had identical 116-112 results in favour of Chris Eubank Jr.
But the trio reached that score in very different ways.
There were five rounds where they couldn’t agree on how to score it.
Nigel Benn speaks on fight
Conor's dad Nigel spoke after seeing his son lose by a unanimous points decision to rival Chris Eubank Jr.
Nigel said: "I thought he'd done really well.
"He'll learn a lot from this, he'll come back stronger.
"We can handle defeat gracefully. Now we go back to the drawing board."
Credit: Getty
Billy Joe drama
There was drama in the bowels of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn stepped into the ring.
Billy Joe Saunders attempted to get into the Eubank Jr dressing room and nearly got into a FIGHT with a security guard.
Boxxer statement on Eubank Jr hospital trip
This looks like all the news we're going to get until at least the morning.
A statement on the social media account of Boxxer - who promoted Eubank Jr in this fight - read: "On recommendation of the onsite doctor, Chris Eubank Jr has been taken to hospital by ambulance for precautionary checks."
Eddie Hearn's full reaction
Speaking in the ring after the fight, he said: "I didn't have Eubank Jr winning that fight by four rounds at all, but forget that.
"Just unbelievable respect for both men.
"I could not be prouder of Conor Benn, for what he's been through and the heart he showed in the ring tonight.
"Nigel Benn was the people's champion and tonight, Conor Benn became the people's champion.
"He rose up from 147lbs to fight a middleweight.
"He threw the kitchen sink - he never stopped trying to win in there and that's that the public love to see, someone who does not stop throwing punches until the final bell and trying to win."
Claressa explains it all
Claressa Shields was hugely impressed with what she saw from Conor Benn.
The GWOAT wrote on social media: "Conor Benn got some Skills!
"I think he didn’t get out skilled, he got out hustled if you ask me!
"But what a man to go up 2 weight classes and stand up like that! Wow!
"Idk why my eyes are watery but what a fight! How special!"
Round by round verdict
Here's how SunSport's Jack Figg saw the fight round-by-round:
Celebs in attendance
There were a number of big names in the crowd as you might expect for a fight of this magnitude.
And the likes of Marcus Rashford and Declan Rice won't have come away disappointed after watching a fight of the year contender.
October return?
We know the rematch will happen because of the clause in the contract.
But we don't quite know when.
However, there are lots of rumours that it will take place as soon as October - with Wembley Stadium the venue to host.
The England football team will play two fixtures at Wembley in October, so that means the timing is less than ideal.
We will wait for more official updates before we get too excited on that one.
But we cannot wait for a rematch.
Benn: 'I couldn't get him out of there'
He adds again that inactivity was definitely a factor but the weight wasn't an issue.
"The difference today was just inactivity, the last two years have taken a lot away from me but I can take it 160 and still dish it out.
"I had him on shaky legs multiple times and I just couldn’t get him out of there, and I put that down to inactivity.
"What’s hard is that it was so close and I didn’t get the nod, it was painful.
"If it was as close as people are saying, then that is what is painful. I was not outclassed and I wasn’t hurt, I just could not get the finish."
'I want my revenge'
Conor Benn has more to say on the defeat and adds: "Inactivity played a big part, not fighting here and then coming back to this.
"I had him hurt multiple times but I couldn’t get the finish so I want my revenge.
"It’s hurt me, I am hurt, nobody likes to lose, close fight or not.
"I look at myself and say it was not good enough, entertaining the public isn’t what I do it for, I am here to win, I work so hard to win. I just need to do better.
"I can box, I don’t always have to knock out my opponents, I can do 12 rounds."
More from Benn
He adds: "Hearing unanimous threw me off, I felt it could have gone my way or his way.
"I gave my all but I need to do better. What am I proud of? That’s hard because I am a winner.
"What could I have done better and what can I improve? People might say I did well but the outcome isn’t what I wanted.
"I thought I would win, 100 per cent, and I thought I would get it done early.
"So I need to look back at it with my team and see what’s what."
Benn at the press conference
Here's how Conor Benn saw the fight.
"It’s a hard one to swallow," he said, "I never thought it would be that close.
"I only came to win and I wasn’t good enough. Obviously I need to do better.
"I didn’t think I lost the fight, I don't want to be delusional. It was a close fight and that’s it.
"[Having] 14 months out maybe played a factor.
"I wish him well, I know he has gone to the hospital.
"I heard with a broken jaw, I wish him a speedy recovery."
How the judges scored it
All three judges had identical 116-112 results in favour of Chris Eubank Jr.
But the trio reached that score in very different ways.
There were five rounds where they couldn't agree on how to score it.
Eubank 'broken jaw'
This isn't an official update but from the mouth of Conor Benn.
Speaking at his post-fight press conference, the defeated fighter was asked if there was more respect between the two after their 12-round war.
Benn replied: "I wish him well.
"I know he’s gone to the hospital, I have heard he’s got a broken jaw, I wish him a speedy recovery."
Again, this is not official and we will provide further updates when possible.
Nigel Benn's thoughts
Eubank Sr's old rival also spoke and said: "I thought he'd done really well.
"He'll learn a lot from this, he'll come back stronger.
"We can handle defeat gracefully. Now we go back to the drawing board."
'Destroyed by the people handling him'
Chris Eubank Sr has given an interview to TalkSPORT where he calls Conor Benn the "superior fighter".
But he was also highly critical of the people around him.
He said: "I was always going to be here for my son, irrespective of what you thought.
"Suspense is part of the game. The performance, championship rounds, standing toe to toe.
"The credit I am going to give to Conor.
"I told you he was a superior fighter, but he shouldn't be fighting at 160lbs.
"He is a 147lbs fighter. What couldn't he do around the world?
"He has been destroyed by the people who are handling him.
"They need to be held to account. Do your job, do your job, do your job!"
More on Eubank Jr
A little bit more info on Eubank Jr's hospital trip... he has been taken to North Middlesex Hospital in Edmonton.
It's not clear if Chris Eubank Sr went with him.
