Another day packed full of incident and controversy preceded this weekend’s huge grudge match between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn.
The arch-rivals will finally settle their differences inside the ring at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night in a mammoth, all-British main event being contested at middleweight, two-and-a-half years since their initial bout was cancelled at late notice after Benn – who has always denied any wrongdoing – failed two voluntary drugs tests.
A long-running rivalry that has has been simmering for many years now and traces back to the epic title battles between fathers Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn in the 1990s has certainly not been short on more recent talking points, most notably when Eubank Jr slapped his opponent across the face with an egg to spark an ugly brawl at a press conference in February – incurring a fine of £100,000 from the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) in the process.
Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn glove row explained
Footage circulated on social media on Friday of Eubank Jr’s team telling BBBoC general secretary Robert Smith of their frustration at Benn’s Everlast gloves during an animated meeting.
Their chief complaint seemed to stem from the fact that the gloves contained horse hair, a perfectly legal but divisive old-school alternative to more modern gloves which are typically padded with foam.
Conor Benn has his gloves laced by trainer Tony Sims during a media workout before Chris Eubank Jr fight
Getty Images
Many fighters feel those gloves are more durable and better for power, though they have caused plenty of rows in the past in a number of high-profile bouts – most notably Tyson Fury’s famous trilogy with Deontay Wilder, with Fury traditionally using gloves with horse hair.
“They’ve got horse hair in them,” a member of Eubank Jr’s team complained to Robert Smith on Friday.
“The gloves were approved by the British Boxing Board of Control,” replied the BBBoC chief, after Matchroom CEO Frank Smith – promoters of Benn – reiterated that the fight contract stipulated the use of gloves that are approved by the BBBoC.
“You should have been here at the beginning. They are done.”
“This is not okay,” came the reply from Eubank Jr’s team. “We specified all the way through that we don’t want horse hair.”
Robert Smith then said: “You haven’t involved the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) and the Board of Control are the people that approve the gloves.
“Those gloves are approved, as these gloves are approved and all these other gloves are approved.”
Frank Smith added: “Our contract is that the British Boxing Board of Control approves the gloves, as per every contract we’ve ever done around the world.”
“It’s going to be what it is but that’s not okay,” Eubank Jr’s team complained again. “It’s not okay.”
“It’s okay with us,” Robert Smith then said. “I accept your opinion, but we’ve approved the gloves already.”
Tensions then boiled over between Frank Smith and Eubank Jr’s advisor Mazhar Majeed, who grabbed each other and went head-to-head before being separated before they could come to blows.
“Maz, I’m not scared of you,” Frank Smith said.
“I don’t give a f**k,” replied Majeed, who repeatedly called his rival a p***k.
“Come outside,” Frank Smith said. “You keep turning around and saying it, come outside.”
An increasingly agitated Majeed was then seen protesting the glove decision with Robert Smith, accusing him of being “wrong” before the high-profile fight between Kell Brook and Amir Khan back in 2022, a bout that was almost cancelled at late notice amid a row over gloves and in which Brook actually changed his gloves in the ring just before the fight started.
“You were wrong last time in Khan-Brook, yes or no?” Majeed said. “You’re wrong, you know you’re wrong. You were wrong in Khan-Brook.
“You said the same thing at Khan-Brook. Did he change gloves or not? Do you want to get to that position tomorrow?
“You did exactly the same with Khan-Brook, you delayed half an hour and it got changed in the end. We are trying to solve this today rather than tomorrow like you messed up last time, simple.”
A defiant Robert Smith insisted he did not cause that delay and was not interested in discussing the issue further.
“We’re done,” he told Majeed. “The conversation is finished. Thank you very much. I’m not wrong at all.
“I’m not discussing that matter here. I didn’t delay it. Excuse me sir, could you go away? Take care.”
Eubank Jr’s promoter, BOXXER chief Ben Shalom, later reportedly told IFL TV that they would not allow Benn to wear horsehair gloves, insisting they were “dangerous” and not in the contract as the row threatened to spill over into fight day.
