No boxer wants to lose a fight, especially when their father’s legacy is intertwined with their own. That was the reality facing Conor Benn, son of the legendary Nigel Benn, and Chris Eubank Jr., son of Chris Eubank Sr., on Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But there’s no denying what the future holds.

Going into the fight, Eubank Jr. was slightly favored by the fans and experts alike due to the bigger names in Eubank’s resume. However, when the fight started, things quickly turned very competitive. Both fighters took the lead at various points of the match—Benn even landed a clean shot on Eubank Jr. that left him wobbly. 

However, the same failed to reflect on the judges’ scorecard, as all three officials scored the fight 116-112 in Eubank’s favor. Despite that, Conor Benn’s father took his “hat off to Chris” while sending a message to his rival’s son for the performance. “He performed well. That’s what it was about,” the retired boxer said.

Turning to his son’s performance, “I don’t think Conor performed to [the] best of his ability, was winging a lot of shots.” However, he clarified that he wasn’t criticizing his son because “I’ve always got his back.” Despite the crushing loss, Nigel Benn promised, “he’ll come back from this.” In fact, the retired boxer claimed that he was glad his son lost the fight.

“Now he can go back to the drawing board and know where he went wrong, take his time in here, come back, ’cause I know he’s got a heart to be a winner,” Nigel Benn added. Later in the interview, Nigel Benn acknowledged Eubank’s determination to stand his ground and fight for the entire 12 rounds, but reiterated, “Conor will come back. He’d be a better fighter.”

While Conor Benn and his father seem to be taking the loss on the chin, others seem to be repulsed by the outcome. 

Piers Morgan voices his disdain with the outcome of Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn

Piers Morgan expressed his disappointment with the result of the Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn fight, calling the scoring “ridiculous.” All three judges scored the bout 116-112 in favor of Eubank Jr., a margin that Morgan found excessive, stating, “What? All three judges said it was 116-112?!!!! That’s ridiculous. Fight was way closer than that, a draw would have been fairer result.” 

While the judges were unanimous in their decision, others, including Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn, were also surprised by the clear margin. Hearn acknowledged the closeness of the fight, commenting, “I don’t see Chris Eubank winning that fight by four rounds at all.” Despite the loss, Conor Benn earned respect for his performance, with Hearn adding, “He won the hearts of everybody who tuned in.” 

That said, Nigel Benn doesn’t seem to have given up on his son, even with a loss, which people like Morgan believe should have been a draw. However, it’s unclear whether there will be a rematch. What did you think about the fight?