Eddie Hearn staged a deliberately silent protest at the final press conference for Chris Eubank Jr’s rematch with Conor Benn, a stunt aimed at mocking the interruptions he faced during April’s media event.
Instead of speaking, the promoter held up a sequence of cue cards while Silent Night played through the room, leaving fighters, journalists and fans momentarily stunned.
The move was a direct nod to the earlier press conference where Eubank repeatedly talked over Hearn and complained about the sound of his voice.
This time, Hearn refused to utter a word.
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As he lifted the first card, Eubank spotted what was happening and broke into a grin. “He’s actually brought cue cards with him, this is embarrassing,” he said.
Hearn’s cards carried a series of short messages: “Good evening all! I know it upsets Chris when I speak. So I’ve taken a new approach. Last April we witnessed a British classic. Both men gave us a fight we will never forget.
“But for now let me just say… Just because it’s fight week (and we always tell the truth) to me, Conor Benn is perfect. He’s ready for the performance of his career. So, get ready for another epic war.”
Eddie Hearn said a fan on Instagram gave him the idea
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Eubank kept up a steady stream of commentary as the music continued, finding humour in the performance.
“Wow he’s finally learned. He’s finally learned guys that he cannot speak during the press conference,” he said.
“What a beautiful thing it is that I don’t have to interrupt this guy.”
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He even remarked on the background music while knowingly interrupting the very silence Hearn was attempting to maintain.
Afterwards Hearn explained that the idea had not been his.
“It was perfect, it was so perfect,” he told reporters.
“I’ll be honest with you, someone sent me a DM today on Instagram, randomly, I don’t know who he is, and said ‘why don’t you do the Love Actually scene with Silent Night?’ We watched the clip in the movie and I thought ‘oh!’ We actually did it about 45 minutes ago, we got these all printed, and it was so good to take the narrative away from him.”
The press conference was not all theatre.
Eubank also used the occasion to address a claim from Team Benn that his father, Chris Eubank Sr, was paid to attend April’s event.
Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will fight on Saturday night
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“All jokes aside there is one thing I must address first,” he said. “Conor Benn, Nigel Benn and Eddie Hearn claimed my dad was paid to come to the first fight and that’s not true and anyone with a brain would know that.
“It’s also disrespectful to the Saudis to suggest that they would do that. So these men need to stop lying to the public.”
Attention now turns to Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where a full crowd will watch the latest chapter in one of British boxing’s most contentious rivalries.
Eubank won their first meeting by unanimous decision over 12 rounds, and both camps have promised that the rematch will deliver an equally dramatic night.