Chris Eubank Jr opens up on winning over the British public ahead of Conor Benn rematch

The IBO middleweight champion acknowledges not everyone is a fan of his, but appreciates those who have seen through his showmanship.

“There are still people who hate me, think I’m an arsehole or a flash c*** or whatever you want to call me,” Eubank Jr told Men’s Health UK. “But there are a lot of people who understand I’m a genuine human being. I’m a good man. It’s good to see that shift.” 

Eubank Jr produced one of the moments of the year as he arrived for his first fight with Benn alongside his long-estranged father, Chris Eubank Sr, who had been publicly damning the fight and his son in the build-up.

Chris Floyd/Men’s Health UK

This moment captured the imagination of the fight public, a moment of reconciliation that sent the attending fans into rapture, and Eubank Jr recalled being surprised by the overwhelming support. 

“I think the last fight was the first time I haven’t been booed into an arena in many years,” he explained. “Maybe my whole career, so it’s interesting to experience a different dynamic.

‘It’s very rare that people’s minds change about someone, but that’s how it’s been with me.” 

Eubank would go on to defeat Benn over 12 gruelling and brutal rounds, buoyed by the support of the fans and his father in attendance. 

He and Benn will run it back next month, and Eubank Jr will be hoping to put the cross-generational family rivalry to bed in a more decisive fashion than the first fight now that he has Terence Crawford’s head trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre in his corner. 

(The full interview with Eubank Jr can be read in the new issue of Men’s Health UK, out now)

Watch Parker vs. Wardley live only on DAZN

Joseph Parker and Fabio Wardley fight this Saturday, October 25, to become the WBO mandatory challenger to Oleksandr Usyk. Watch the fight and undercard live and exclusive on DAZN PPV.

Click here for pricing and to buy now.