24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Chris Eubank Jr to wear blood of ex-opponent for Conor Benn face-off
Both Eubank Jr and Benn will meet later this evening ahead of Saturday's clash, and the former looks set to steal the show with a bold move
Chris Eubank Jr will wear a custom-made jacket featuring blood from his former rival Liam Smith for tonight's face-off with Conor Benn.
The 35-year-old will meet Benn at the final press conference this evening ahead of their grudge match - which is scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. 'Next Gen' is a man of fashion, but his upcoming plan is rather chilling and bold. It's no doubt a real statement - with the Brit seemingly eager to send a message to his upcoming opponent and his ex-rival.
Eubank Jr's custom-made jacket, should he choose to go through with it, will have Smith's blood stitched on, according to Mail Online. The two stars first met back in January 2023 - with 'Beefy' going on to shock the boxing world after knocking Eubank Jr out in the fourth round in Manchester.
Both men would meet in an immediate rematch eight months later, with Eubank Jr going on to get his revenge, knocking the Liverpudlian out in the tenth round. The 35-year-old's jacket - which took over six months to make - features panels made from the blood-stained ring canvas during the rematch.
The front of the jacket has a Union Jack patch, with the date of their rematch '02.09.2023' printed on the other side. Eubank Jr's surname is printed in block capitals across the jacket - along with a bold vertical text 'CHAMPION' running down one sleeve. The back features oversized initials 'NG' - standing for 'Next Gen' - the Brit's nickname.
The letters feature dark bloodstains from the sequel with Smith in 2023, with 'It's In Your Blood' embodied above his 'Next Gen' nickname. After being presented with the jacket by 1909 and Boxing News, Eubank Jr said: "This is real blood? That's sick. I'm a big jacket guy — and that is a sexy jacket."
Myles Jordan, the creative director of the jacket, added: "This jacket is the essence of what we're trying to do. Luxury streetwear rooted in boxing. The materials we use are just as important as the design itself - and this piece tells a story, in every thread, in every stain."
In a pre-fight documentary uploaded to Boxxer's official YouTube channel, Eubank Jr opened up on the fight and how a loss will affect his future. "Everything is riding on this fight. This is the biggest fight of my career. The most amount of money, the most amount of pressure, the most amount of everything," he said.
"Everything is riding on this. A loss... it would finish me, it would ruin me mentally, emotionally, spiritually. A defeat would be devastating because not only the beef between me and Conor real, and something I wouldn't be able to stand the defeat of on a personal level. I have to uphold my father's legacy. Letting him down would probably hurt even more."
He added: "It's a massive risk. For me because everything is on the line. My reputation, my credibility, my family name, my career. I've said, 'if I lose to Conor Benn, I retire.' That is a harrowing thought to know that if I don't pull this off, if I don't do what I'm supposed to do on April 27th... there's no more boxing which is all I've done since I was 14-years-old."
