Chris Eubank Jr ignored crucial instructions from his trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre during his lopsided points defeat to Conor Benn, according to former world champion Tony Bellew, who believes the failure to adapt cost Eubank Jr any chance of winning the rematch.
The fighter, 36, endured a torrid night as he was comprehensively outboxed across 12 rounds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, looking nothing like the fighter who had outgunned Benn in their first meeting back in April.
While Benn appeared sharper, quicker and far more composed, Eubank Jr struggled to find rhythm, leaving fans and pundits baffled.
Bellew, assessing the fight for DAZN, argued that the problem was not simply Benn’s improvement but Eubank Jr’s inability to follow clear tactical advice.
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“This version of Conor Benn will beat him 10 times out of 10,” Bellew said bluntly.
“He can’t deal with boxing someone who is quicker than him. And that’s the problem.
“He wasn’t listening to BoMac. BoMac was screaming the right instructions for him to follow and he didn’t want to listen.”
Conor Benn was too strong for Chris Eubank Jr in their boxing match on Saturday night | PAIn a scathing critique of the fighter’s approach, Bellew added: “He’s the most expensive man in the world and you’ve paid him just to give you a drink.
“He didn’t listen to his advice. He was telling him to put the jab on him - use the jab, create the distance. And he wasn’t listening. And he’s paid the price. I will give him credit, he’s a brave boy. The two of them are absolute warriors.”
McIntyre, 55, a former heavyweight who has become one of the most respected trainers in the sport, is known globally for his long-standing partnership with Terence Crawford, whom he guided to world titles across five weight divisions.
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Chris Eubank Jr was poor on Saturday night as Conor Benn won their rematch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
|PA
He joined Eubank Jr’s corner last year and masterminded the Brighton fighter’s dominant rematch win over Liam Smith in 2023.
Expectations were high that BoMac’s tactical discipline would once again sharpen Eubank Jr’s performance - but the plan appeared to fall apart inside the ring.
After his unanimous-decision defeat, Eubank Jr admitted he had been dealing with significant issues throughout camp, though he declined to elaborate.
“I’ve been through hell and back to make it here today,” he said.
“I genuinely thought that regardless of the issues that I’ve been dealing with, I would be able to go in there and win. Use my boxing skills.
“Use what you guys saw in that first fight to beat Conor Benn. From that first round, I realised that I was mistaken, but it’s okay. I’m a fighter. This is what I do.”
Conor Benn was outstanding during his boxing rematch with Chris Eubank Jr
| PAHe also paid tribute to his rival, adding: “I tried my best.
“Conor Benn put on a hell of a fight. He had a great performance. He did everything that was asked of him, and I congratulate him for his performance.”
As for a trilogy fight, Eubank Jr made clear that his immediate focus is recovery rather than revenge.
“Right now, I’m not really in the state of mind to be thinking about next fights,” he said.
“I need to heal. I need to deal with what I’m dealing with and then after that I can start thinking about my path in the sport.”
Whether the rivalry continues remains to be seen - but Bellew’s verdict leaves little doubt that Eubank Jr’s defeat has already ignited fresh scrutiny over his future partnership with BoMac.