In a gesture of goodwill, Chris Eubank Jr has compensated fighters who were left out of pocket after the cancellation of his highly anticipated bout with Conor Benn in 2022.
The middleweight clash was called off when Benn failed a voluntary drugs test, leading to a prolonged battle with anti-doping authorities. Benn’s suspension was eventually lifted in November 2024, paving the way for the fight to be rescheduled for April 26 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Eubank Jr shared proof of his actions on Instagram, posting a screenshot that appeared to show payments to 10 fighters from the undercard of the original event.
“Here’s a little something to help out the undercard fighters that were left out of pocket,” he wrote, adding a touch of humor: “Few boxers didn’t want to give me their bank details… maybe they will now.”
The move drew praise from the boxing community, with undercard fighter Shannon Courtenay calling him a “man of his word” and unified super-bantamweight champion Ellie Scotney simply stating, “what a guy.”
The lead-up to the rescheduled bout has been anything but smooth. Benn, 28, has consistently denied intentional doping, with a 2023 WBC report suggesting his failed test could have resulted from “highly elevated consumption” of eggs.
The tension between the fighters has only intensified, culminating in a chaotic press conference where Eubank smashed an egg across Benn’s face, requiring security to intervene.
Both fighters are being monitored by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) as the new date approaches.
