Eddie Hearn believes Chris Eubank Jr. will retire after losing to Conor Benn on Saturday night in the return leg, which will take place on November 15 in London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

(Source: Matthew Pover Matchroom Boxing)

Mind games before fight night

Hearn believes that Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KO) has been through a lot physically in his career, as well as “a lot of arduous nights.” However, it is doubtful whether he only says this in the hope that Eubank Jr. will hear this statement and start to doubt himself enough for Benn (23-1, 14 KO) to gain the advantage.

Is Hearn really worried about Eubank Jr. or is he just playing psychological chess to unnerve him before fight night? This appears to be fraudulent on Hearn’s part, a mind trick to make Eubank Jr. he will start to worry about himself. It’s definitely a tricky approach, but Benn has a lot to gain if he wins this fight. His popularity will escalate and he will earn good money if he is offered a fight with Canelo Alvarez or Terence Crawford.

Eubank Jr-Benn 2 will perform this Saturday on DAZN PPV in a rematch taking place on April 26, 2025. Chris Jr. won this fight by unanimous decision lasting 12 rounds, with scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 116-112.

If anyone should be considering retirement, it’s 29-year-old Benn, in the truest sense of the word. He was the one who lost last time and didn’t look impressive. The way he fought, it seemed like he would have lost to the top guys at 147, 154 and 160.

What happens if Benn loses again?

What will happen to Benn’s credibility if he loses to the same opponent again? If Eubank Jr. flogs him again on Saturday night, it will be disastrous for Conor’s popularity and reputation. A knockout loss would mean Benn would revert to 147 pounds under unfavorable conditions.

He cannot be compared to Vergil Ortiz Jr., Jaron “Boots” Ennis or Brian Norman Jr. and expect him to beat any of these fighters. Defeated by Eubank Jr. showed that Benn didn’t have the talent to be a top fighter at 160-147 pounds.

“It was his first real fight under those lights. He came back after a year and a half of inactivity,” said Eddie Hearn iFL Televisionexplaining why Conor Benn lost to Chris Eubank Jr. in April last year. “I expect him to be much better.

Hearn Banking in a better Benn

Hearn is hopeful that Benn will feel better, but there’s nothing to base that opinion on considering he hasn’t fought since his loss to Eubank Jr. in April last year. The only way someone can claim to be better is to fight someone to demonstrate improvement.

“Eubank is a tough, stubborn man and he’s not going to make it uncomplicated for us. I just think we beat him this time,” Hearn said. “It’s going to be another brutal fight. I really believe we’ll win on Saturday and we’ll do it in style.”

Hearn’s dream would be to beat Eubank Jr on Saturday. Can Benn’s victory revive his career, which has stalled since April’s defeat? A win for Benn would open the door to fights with these names:

• Canelo Alvarez
• Terence Crawford
• Jaron Ennis
• Vergil Ortiz Jr.
• Sebastian Fundor
• Errol Spence
• Jermell Charlo
• Jake Paul
• Manny Pacquiao
• Ryan Garcia
• Devin Haney

The number of fights that would be available and offered to Conor Benn if he beats Eubank Jr. is almost limitless. He is still teenage and has a huge fan base among British fans thanks to his eminent father, Nigel Benn. He would probably lose to most of the fighters listed above, but could beat some of the smaller guys. The amount he will receive will be significant.

If Eubank Jr. will be fighting like he did last April, it’s going to be a long night at the office for Benn as he doesn’t have enough offensive power to keep up with a fighter of his type without getting gassed.

“I truly believe this will be Chris Eubank Jr’s last fight on Saturday. I think he had a lot of abrasive nights. I know there are a lot of people on his team who want him to retire,” Hearn said.

If Eubank Jr. will win again and look like gold, there will be no reason to retire. If Eubank Jr. refuses to retire, where will he go next in a crowded 160-pound environment? He will probably move up to super middleweight to make it easier for him to make weight. Additionally, this division has the biggest payouts against the following fighters:

• Canelo Alvarez
• Terence Crawford
• Diego Pachecho

Eubank Jr. refuses to talk about retirement

Eubank Jr. he already said during Tuesday’s Grand Arrivals gala that he plans to continue fighting after Saturday’s rematch with Benn. So Hearn might as well forget about his hopes that Eubank Jr. will retire. He’s not going anywhere because he has bigger wells to dig against Canelo and Crawford that will be trucking in oil, causing mega-million dollar fights.