Chris Eubank Jr won the first fight but our boxing tipster reckons Conor Benn may take the second…
Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn are set to reignite their family rivalry at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday and if they can get anywhere near the level of drama of their first fight in April we’re in for a banger.
The undercard is stacked with top British talent, and we’ve got all of Paddy’s boxing tipster Matt Gipon‘s shouts from top to bottom. Let’s get to it…
Saturday’s Boxing betting tips
*All times are approximate
6.15pm: Richard Riakporhe v Tommy Welch – Riakporhe to win the fight in round 3 – 4
7pm: Sam Gilley v Ishmael Davis – Davis points or decision
8pm: Adam Azim v Kurt Scoby – Azim to win the fight in round 3 – 4
9pm: Jack Catterall v Ekow Essuman – Catterall points or decision
10pm: Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn – Benn by decision/technical decision
Eubank Jr v Benn Bet Builder: Benn to win the fight in round 4 – 6; Eubank Jr to be knocked down
A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 15/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Former cruiserweight contender Riakporhe, 35, has moved up to heavyweight and he’s filled-out nicely, and this weekend he faces unbeaten prospect Welch, 30. The son of Norfolk cult hero Scott Welch hasn’t faced a real threat as a pro and this might be a step too far – I am backing the ‘The Midnight Train’ to run through Welch in four rounds.
Gilley, 31, has been a stalwart on small hall shows for eight years and he picked up the Commonwealth super welterweight strap along the way, but he also has one defeat and a draw on his ledger. Davis, 30, has competed at a much higher level but this is the third fight in three months for the Leeds fighter, so my pick is for a slightly tired Davis to take the win by decision.
The hype around Azim is completely justified and this weekend the Slough man, 23, was supposed to be facing top-15 super lightweight Zaur Abdullaev, but when that fight fell through a few weeks ago American Kurt Scoby threw his hat in the ring.
Hard hitting Scoby, 30, has struggled to make an impact in the US after a knockout loss in 2024 derailed his ascent. The manner of the defeat is worrying against a power-puncher like Azim who has stopped his last four opponents with incredible speed and accuracy – take the big price on an early finish.
Catterall, 32, and Essuman, 36, are meeting at a stage in their careers where a win can put them in world title contention while a defeat means restarting at the domestic level. Essuman, ‘The Engine’, is coming off a career-best win against a faded Josh Taylor, but I think Catterall will be too slick and he’ll get the victory on points.
I picked Eubank to win the first fight, but I never thought it would be as tight and as attritional as it was. The contest was razor close, and many thought Benn had done enough, but Eubank got the nod before being whisked off to the hospital for health checks.
After being stunned a few times in the early rounds Eubank fought back almost on heart alone. It was a truly impressive feat of bravery but having to dig so deep at the age of 36 and after 37 professional fights the win may have taken something out of him permanently.
Even in the build up to this fight Eubank looks drained, maybe even a bit frail, and he is well past his best days as a super middleweight contender between 2017 and 2019. This fight has been set at the 160-pound middleweight limit again and I think it’s detrimental to the Brighton superstar to keep campaigning in this division.
On the other hand, Benn, 29, is still improving after 24 bouts in the paid ranks. There were big question marks about moving up to middleweight before the first fight but now it must be seen as a positive that he’s naturally filling into the weight.
Benn has said that he will approach the scrap in a less emotional way – which I’ll believe when I see it – but just having that mindset is another improvement. A lot of respected pundits are picking Benn and I agree – Junior has the heart and experience to survive but I like the price on a Conor points win.
BET BUILDER: BENN IN ROUND 4 – 6; EUBANK JR TO BE KNOCKED DOWN
If you want to pump up the odds and you think a knockout is on the cards, look no further than Paddy’s new boxing Bet Builder.
Eubank was knocked out by Liam Smith in four rounds in 2023 and he hasn’t really impressed for a long time. Despite Benn’s aggression and power his KO ratio is only hovering just above 60%, and all of his KOs have come in the first four rounds.
If Benn can hurt Eubank again early I think his speed and freshness might be enough to overwhelm the veteran in the middle rounds. If you pair that bet with a punt on Eubank Jr to be knocked down you have a very tasty little Bet Builder.
A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 15/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Saturday’s Boxing betting tips
*All times are approximate
6.15pm: Richard Riakporhe v Tommy Welch – Riakporhe to win the fight in round 3 – 4
7pm: Sam Gilley v Ishmael Davis – Davis points or decision
8pm: Adam Azim v Kurt Scoby – Azim to win the fight in round 3 – 4
9pm: Jack Catterall v Ekow Essuman – Catterall points or decision
10pm: Chris Eubank Jr v Conor Benn – Benn by decision/technical decision
Eubank Jr v Benn Bet Builder: Benn to win the fight in round 4 – 6; Eubank Jr to be knocked down
A Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 15/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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