Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn’s face-off today is CANCELLED amid ‘security concerns’ after rivals sparked mass brawl with EGG slap
The planned face-off between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn at Wednesday’s press conference has been cancelled amid ‘security concerns’.
The decision comes just one day after a mass brawl was sparked between the two fight camps after Eubank Jr bizarrely slapped his rival with an egg.
The British pair will finally settle their differences at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26, 30 months on from their first fight being cancelled after Benn failed two drugs tests.
The launch press conference for their highly-anticipated bout went ahead in Manchester on Tuesday evening, and culminated with the two fighters going head to head.
As they came together, Eubank Jr responded to Benn trying to get under his skin by slapping him across the right cheek with an egg.
The shocking moment led to members from both teams rushing on to the stage as a brawl broke out, but security were able to keep Eubank Jr and a seething Benn apart.
The first face-off between the pair descended into chaos ahead of their grudge match in April
Chris Eubank Jr slapped Conor Benn with an egg at Tuesday’s press conference
The two rivals were set to go face-to-face again at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but plans for that have now been dashed.
The British stars will still partake in a press conference on Thursday, which is also set to take place inside the Premier League stadium.
The longstanding rivalry – which began when their fathers fought inside the ring in the 1990s – will be settled when they meet later on this year, after seeing a previously scheduled bout in 2022 fall through.
A fight was scheduled for October 8 at The O2 Arena in London, billed as ‘Born Rivals’ and was set at a catchweight of 157 pounds.
However, the bout was called off 48 hours before the event was set to take place after the former tested positive for the banned substance clomifene.
The British Boxing Board of Control prohibited the fight, citing it as ‘not in the interests of boxing,’ despite efforts from promoters to push it forward.
Benn initially suggested back in 2022 that his positive tests could have been due to his consumption of too many eggs.
Benn later denied that was the reason for the failed tests as he fought to prove his innocence.
Eubank Jr had earlier taunted Benn for blaming his failed drugs tests on eating too many eggs
A seething Benn had to be held back by security after Eubank Jr’s stunt on Tuesday evening
He was finally cleared to fight again in the UK in November by an anti-doping panel -but that didn’t stop Eubank Jr taunting Benn about his egg excuse at Tuesday’s press conference.
Questioning his rival, Eubank Jr said: ‘Conor, I’ve been meaning to ask you this for a long time, it’s interested me. How many eggs did you have to eat to fail those two drugs tests you dirty little omelette?’
Benn shot back: ‘The reality is, I’ve been cleared three times by the NADP, by the WBC, by UKAD, people who are a lot smarter than you. I’ve been cleared.
‘Two, you will never be cleared of being a w*****. You have the IQ of a five-year-old child.’
