Chris Eubank Jr’s fight with Conor Benn is ‘absolutely ON’, insists promoter Kalle Sauerland

Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn is ‘absolutely on’ despite Chris Eubank Sr’s threat to pull his son from the bout. 

Eubank Sr told Sportsmail: ‘His life cannot be put in danger… I’ve already lost one son. I can’t lose another.’

But Eubank Jr’s promoter Kalle Sauerland has declared on TalkSPORT: ‘We don’t have a contract with Chris Eubank Sr, we have a contract with Chris Eubank Jr.’

He said the fight is ‘absolutely on’ and allayed fears the historic clash between the sons of their famous rival fathers would be scrapped. 

Eubank Jr and Benn are due to meet at London’s O2 Arena on October 8, re-igniting a family feud three decades after the patriarchs clashed for the second time. 

On a video call involving both Nigel and Conor Benn, Eubank Sr told Sportsmail he would not allow his son to fight below the 160lb middleweight limit. 

Chris Eubank Sr claimed he would pull his son out of his grudge match with Conor Benn

He even threatened legal action: ‘If they’re not going to listen to me, then they’ll have to listen to my King’s Counsel. That fight does not happen.

‘If he doesn’t take the advice then I have to put my foot down… have you ever heard of Russian Roulette?’ Eubank said. ‘When you spin that barrel, that’s what he’s doing and that I can’t let him.

‘I’ve given him my direction. If he doesn’t want to follow it, he will be dragged along. But he will do what is right for him… he is coming down 1oz below 160lbs which cannot happen on my watch.’

Eubank Snr, whose son Sebastian died last year at the age of 29, added: ‘This is modern day ‘gladiating’, this is not a play thing for the audience. We have to be strict otherwise lives are put in danger and my son’s life cannot be put in danger. 

Eubank Jr was told that the fight is not happening by his father but he signed the contract

‘I’ve already lost one. It can’t happen again… if you have a child and someone’s trying to actually take that child away from you, and do something wrong to that child, as a dad you wouldn’t let them. That’s all I’m doing.’ 

There are financial penalties are in place, should either fighter come in over the 157lb catchweight limit for the bout.

Senior even tried to persuade Benn not to take the fight. He added: ‘If your dad won’t protect my son, if they won’t allow me to protect my son, you protect him. 

‘Why would I be in his corner, in a fight where he’s coming in, in a situation where he can lose his life.’

But it seems the fight as it stands it going ahead as planned despite Eubank Sr’s protestations.