On a night framed by manufactured rage and genuine vindication, Chris Eubank Jr outpointed Conor Benn in an initially close but ultimately clearcut victory. All three judges returned the same 116-112 scorecard in favour of the bigger, more poised and seasoned fighter who still had to weather some rocky moments when Benn hurt him.
Eubank Jr was wobbled on numerous occasions but Benn, 28, was just too wild to administer conclusive punishment. In contrast, the 35-year-old landed the more effective blows, often in clubbing combinations, and Benn looked on the brink of being stopped in the last minute of the fight. Despite a cut eye and swollen face, Eubank Jr poured on the pressure as he went in search of the knockout.
