Chris Eubank Jr has shut down suggestions that Liam Smith has stolen his Christmas - by claiming that Conor Benn has.
Eubank Jr was due to meet Benn on October 8, a day shy of the 29th anniversary of their fathers’ last meeting in the ring. However, the catchweight bout was cancelled at the 11th hour after news broke that Benn had returned a positive A sample with the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) around a fortnight earlier.
It was later revealed that Benn had tested positive for the same substance earlier in the summer, something that neither he nor his promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom disclosed in the wake of the bombshell leak by the Daily Mail, which initially caused the cancellation of the October fight.
READ MORE: James Metcalf eyes 2023 world title showdown after stopping Courtney Pennington
Benn has maintained his innocence ever since the news broke, and his legal team has sent a 270-page document to the World Boxing Council in order to prove his innocence
But while Benn tries to clear his name, Eubank Jr is currently preparing for his return to the ring when he takes on Smith on January 21 at the AO Arena in Manchester.
Smith heads into the mouth-watering bout in the form of his life following wins over Jesse Vargas, Anthony Fowler, Roberto Garcia and Hassan Mwakinyo.
And when asked if the scheduling of the fight means Smith has ruined his Christmas, Eubank Jr replied: “Liam Smith hasn’t stolen my Christmas, Conor Benn has and it’s another thing he will have to pay for eventually.
“A January fight makes Christmas a lot more miserable. I’m going to have to cut down on turkey and pigs in blankets, which is unfortunate.
“But that’s part of being a fighter, you have to sacrifice things you want to do. I’ve done it before and it is just part of the job.”
READ MORE:
