Chris Eubank Jr emotionally dedicated his triumph over Conor Benn to his father after their shock reunion, insisting: ‘He needed to be there’.
Eubank Jr secured a unanimous victory on the scorecards after a gruelling slugfest at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before being hoisted into the air by his dad in the ring.
The legendary former world champion buried the hatchet with his son after arriving at the venue alongside him despite their public feud, stunning the boxing world.
In the build-up to the showdown, Eubank Sr had branded his eldest a ‘disgrace’ for slapping an egg on Benn’s head during a pre-fight press conference.
But after going the full 12 rounds and winning an instant classic, Eubank Jr gave credit to his father. Standing next to him, he told DAZN: ‘The fact that our fathers did what they did all those years ago, it brings out a different soul, a different spirit, into you.
‘Happy to have this man back with me. It’s special.
Chris Eubank Jr dedicated his brutal triumph over Conor Benn to his dad
Eubank Jr was held aloft by his father in the ring after being crowned the winner
The father and son ring walked together after their sensational reunion ahead of the bout
‘He needed to be there, it’s all because of him.’
Eubank Sr said: ‘He couldn’t move around the ring so he had to. That is legendary behaviour in the ring. Legendary. Conor Benn is an extraordinary fighter. He’s gone pear-shaped somewhere but an extraordinary fighter. You saw that tonight.
‘He wanted to tear. I thought he’d blow out in four or five rounds. He went strong right the way through the fight. I’m so proud of him. That’s my son.
‘I was always going to be here.’
Eubank Jr also admitted he was not certain his dad would turn up. On the shock arrival that sparked a frenzy inside the venue, he said: ‘Neither was I. It was a big lift.’
The tens of thousands of spectators let out an almighty roar after live pictures of Eubank Jr emerging from his car with his father were shown on the screens.
Eubank Sr then accompanied his son to the ring and posed alongside him, ratcheting the atmosphere up to fever-pitch ahead of a fight for the ages.
Speaking exclusively to Mail Sport on his decision, he said: ‘I back my son no matter what. The egg thing he did? Very disappointed, but I forgave him instantly.
Speaking to Mail Sport, Eubank Sr insisted he was always going to attend the showdown
They entered the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium together, sending the crowd into a frenzy
Eubank Jr shadow boxed with his father before going on to edge a 12-round classic
‘And now, he always has to understand you always have to preach that this is not the way we behave as standardbearers, as noblemen.
‘The better way for me to explain it is as follows. You have your super conscious mind, which is your spiritual mind, and you have your surface mind, which is your ego mind. The super conscious mind was always coming.
‘The surface mind may not have known but a super conscious mind always does the right thing, because it’s always graceful, always noble, and always forgiving.’
On when he knew his son knew he was attending, he added: ‘That’s another story.
‘The idea is to keep everyone in suspense, because that’s when you give away the show. You have bad actors, who give away the show, and then you have good actors, who win Oscars. The build-up was at the start of his career.
‘He’s taken over the last four years. In that time, he’s learned what I was protecting him from. So he now knows, “Oh, I shouldn’t have let that go.”
‘Because experience is invaluable, and love is not something you can buy, and everyone’s looking after their own kingdom.
‘When everyone’s looking after their own kingdom, and they’re not your dad, then you’ve been rinsed. That’s a bit cruel – you’re wasting time.
‘What do I want, in terms of goods for my son? Nothing? What I want? Nothing. I’m the father, I’m there, I’m the king. I mean that in the royal frame of mind.’
