Why was Eubank Jr vs Benn fight delayed from 2022 all the way to now in 2025? Quiet the time delay. Let us look at why that happened.
The highly anticipated clash on Saturday between Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn was originally slated for October 2022.
But it was derailed by a controversy that sent shockwaves through the boxing world at the time.
The fight, meant to reignite the historic rivalry between the Eubank and Benn families, was canceled just days before the event due to a failed drug test from Conor Benn.
Still a bone of contention.
The news broke when Benn tested positive for clomifene — a banned fertility drug known to boost testosterone levels — which raised serious concerns about fair play in the sport.
Benn, the son of boxing legend Nigel Benn, was set to face Eubank Jr., whose father, Chris Eubank Sr., famously battled Nigel in the 1990s.
The matchup carried immense emotional weight, with both fighters eager to honor their fathers’ legacies.
However the British Boxing Board of Control stepped in after the test results surfaced refusing to sanction the bout.
Despite initial attempts by promoters to salvage the event — including exploring alternative jurisdictions — the fight was ultimately scrapped as the legal and more importantly — ethical implications became too significant to ignore.
What followed was a two-year ordeal for Benn, basically.
He faced a provisional suspension while vehemently denying any intentional wrongdoing. He still does.
Claiming the substance detected could have been due to contamination or dietary factors.
Then, in 2023, a National Anti-Doping Panel initially lifted his suspension.
But the decision was appealed by the BBBofC and UK Anti-Doping, essentially prolonging the saga.
Alas, it wasn’t until November 2024 that Benn’s suspension was officially overturned, finally.
Now clearing the path for the fight to be rescheduled for April 26th 2025 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — this Saturday in the UK.
After all this, the delay not only heightened the tension between the two camps but also amplified the stakes.
There’s a real grudge and score to settle because of this by both guys this weekend.
Genuine needle and both will be looking to take one another’s heads clean off the other’s shoulders.
Roll on.
Fight fight fight.