Conor Benn has said the fear of losing is driving him ahead of his fight against Chris Eubank Jr. on Saturday.
Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) and Eubank Jr. (34-3, 25 KOs) will clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a highly anticipated and spiteful fight three years after their original scheduled bout was cancelled after Benn failed two drugs tests. He has since been cleared to fight in the UK.
In the time since the cancellation, the disdain between the two has ramped up, with the rivalry between their fathers, Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn, who fought twice in the 1990s, in the background.
The two came face-to-face for the first time in fight week on Tuesday at the grand arrivals in London. Benn said it is the fear of losing, rather than the joy of winning, that is motivating him.
“I fear losing all the time. That’s what gets me out of bed at five in the morning. I fear losing,” Benn said.
“It’s the way I work. Some people … they love to win. That’s why I train hard, the fear of losing. Especially to this man.
“Of course you have your doubts, your fears, your worries. Ultimately. I’ve had that my whole career. It’s a natural part of the process.
“Am I extremely confident? I’m very confident. Confident as ever because I put the work in.”
The fight will be contested at 160 pounds with a 10-pound re-hydration clause.
Benn, a career welterweight, is stepping up two divisions for the bout, but both men played down the weight factor.
“I keep hearing this two weight class thing, he’s not coming up two weight classes thing, he’s not coming up two weight classes,” Eubank Jr. said.
“His last fight was at 156 pounds; he hasn’t been a welterweight for three years. This fight isn’t about size or weight. It’s about skill, dedication, expertise.
“All those areas I excel in and have got many many more years of experience than Conor Benn. That will be the dividing factor.”
Benn also said the weight wouldn’t be a problem for him.
“My last two fights have been at 153. I am a welterweight,” he said.
“My best performances have come at 147 [pounds]. I feel strong at 147 but I feel strong enough at 160 [pounds] to do a number on this man and then drop back down. I want that WBC world title.”
Source: espn.com