British boxing is a staple of the wider sporting landscape. It is a way for boxers to fight for their honour, settle rivalries in a safe and officiated way, and have their family name glorified by the millions of fans who adore them. As a country we have a history of producing boxing talent that became popular beyond the British isles. British boxing greats include Joe Calzaghe, Lennox Lewis, “Prince” Naseem Ahmed, Anthony Joshua, Ricky Hatton and Tyson Fury. Rivalries are part and parcel of the boxing world and from a media and marketing perspective, they are intrinsic to the build up before a fight. Arguably one of the most legendary rivalries is the one between the boxing men of the Eubank and Benn families.
The patriarchs of both families established one of the most notorious rivalries in boxing in the 1990s when they both fought to claim the WBO Middleweight title. Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn fought in 1990 with Eubank Sr reigning victorious, winning by a technical knockout in the ninth round. The fight was momentous. The hatred, animosity and rivalry intensified, culminating in a 1993 rematch at Old Trafford to secure the title of super middleweight champion. The emotion-filled bout ended undecided with the outcome of a split draw. The 90s ended with Eubank Sr having the upper hand over Benn.
Fast forward to the 2020s, and Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr both have grown sons who have decided to follow in their fathers footsteps by pursuing boxing. The sport is a brutal business and both fathers had very different attitudes towards their sons’ respective decisions to follow in their footsteps. Nigel Benn was very supportive of his son Conor’s decision to take up boxing. On the other hand, Eubank Sr tried his best to dissuade his son Eubank Jr from taking up the sport. Eubank Sr had pursued boxing to change his fortunes and give his family and children a better life. He viewed his son’s decisions as a backward step after he had worked so hard to give his son life options beyond boxing. He felt that boxing required a grit and determination that his son may not have because of their differences in upbringing.
The father-son relationships and chosen family dynamics of both sons couldn’t be more different. Conor Benn is married with two children and has great support from his father in his life and his boxing career. Chris Eubank Sr was estranged from his father for many years and remains very secretive about his relationship status. He does not have any children of his own, however he is heavily involved in the life of his late brother’s son Raheem. Both men have demonstrated great care and protection over the children in their lives which don’t always get to see from such public black male figures, particularly within a sport as savage boxing, however this is changing with the likes of highly decorated African American boxer Terence Crawford who is very vocal and proud of being a loving father to seven children.
After Conor Benn was cleared from a doping suspension in 2025, himself and Eubank Jr were able to reignite the family feud that had started in the 90s between their fathers and fight for glory in the ring in front of hundreds of thousands across the globe tuning in. On one hand you had Conor Benn represented by Eddie Hearn from Matchroom. Both Benn and Hearn come from families and dynasties with strong father figures, a factor which most likely made their partnership a no brainer. Eubank Jr has fought successfully for many years without the support of his father. It could be argued that the pursuit of success in boxing was an opportunity to try and prove his father wrong about his belief that he couldn’t become a great boxer. As the sons prepared to fight in honour of their family name, there was speculation as to whether Eubank Sr would reconcile to see his son defend their family legacy.
On the night of ‘fatal fury’ on the 26th of April 2025, Eubank Sr stole the show when he showed up at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a signature black cab and walked into the stadium arena having made peace with his son ahead of the fight. During the fight both fathers sat ringside over 20 years later in a deja vu scenario where they saw their rivalry in the ring played out with their sons carrying their legacy. Eubank Jr emerged from the fight victorious like his father in 1990. The honour of the Eubank name remained intact.
As well as the fight being an affirmation to the world that the ‘Eubank vs Benn’ rivalry was well and truly alive, it was also a very public demonstration of black masculinity and fatherhood for all to see. For this reason, in my humble opinion, this bout transcended the interest of the die hard boxing fans, and captured the imagination of a much wider fanbase. All of us can relate to the ups and downs of family relationships. We often have a love-hate relationship with our family members. Maintaining family ties involves hard work, love, care and effort. In summary, family relationships are complicated.
Unfortunately, there are many stereotypes that exist about black men as fathers and young men making their way in the UK. They are often seen as ‘dangerous’, ‘ghetto’ and ‘a threat’ to people around them. When it comes to family, black men are often stereotyped as ‘absent’ and given the often derogatory title of ‘baby father’ which assumes a lack of interest and involvement in the lives of their children. Parenting campaigners and anti-racism activists are working hard to change the narrative and educate the public so such stereotypes are challenged and black men are afforded the same grace, care and vulnerability that other fathers are. Black families are not monolithic, as demonstrated by the Eubank and Benn families. On the night of the fight, both sons and and their fathers entered the fight with bravado and machismo, as expected from such a high profile bout. By the end of the fight, both Eubank Jr and Conor Benn shared raw and vulnerable embraces with their fathers, reminding us that they are humans like us, who ultimately fought for the approval of their fathers and the opportunity to uphold their family legacy within, and beyond the ring.
On the 15th of November we will bear witness to the rematch of Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, replicating the rematch of their fathers in 1993. Boxing fans will be intrigued to know if Benn will be able to snatch the almost 7 month old victory from his rival Eubank Jr. The masses will be looking closely to examine the father-son relationships, particularly the one between the recently reconciled Eubank Jr and Eubank Sr. I hope that in the midst of all of the bravado, cameras and flashing lights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the world sees a positive representation of black masculinity, fatherhood and family that challenges the negative stereotypes and replaces it with a kinder, well-rounded perception.
