Thierry Henry led a host of stars from sport, stage, and screen as gracing the ringside seats for a taste of the boxing action on Saturday night.Â
Manchester United star Mason Mount and Liverpool player Curtis Jones were among the footballers present for the clash between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, rapper 50 Cent were also in attendance – with the in the Eubank dressing room and helping his entry singing Many Men (Wish Death) and other tunes.Â
British music royalty in the form of Rod Stewart was represented in the seat next to Brosnan. Olly Murs was also there and supported his boxer friend Sam Gilley – with whom he has sparred for four years – for his defeat by Ishmael Davis.Â
Meanwhile, Jason Statham, a hard man of the cinema and husband of Huntingdon-Whiteley, posed for pictures alongside Saudi Arabian boxing chief Turki Al-Sheikh.Â
Henry, who posed for a photo with businessman Steven Bartlett and former boxer Tony Bellew, told TNT Sports: ‘I love everything about it [boxing]. The commitment, the discipline. The story [of Eubank Jr vs Benn], the dads, the hate, the love after.Â
Thierry Henry posed for a photo ringside with Steven Bartlett and Tony Bellew
Liverpool star Curtis Jones poses with boxer Terence Crawford and Stoke player Jaden Mears
Model and actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley takes in her surroundings in north London
Jason Statham adopts a hard man pose as he sits alongside Saudi boxing chief Turki Al-Sheikh
‘My dad’s favourite was MIke Tyson so my favourite was Mike Tyson. He was almost unreal, the way he got into the body of the opponent. I only saw him on TV but what a fighter he was.’
While not receiving as much attention as their first, this London clash is still a big deal as the fighters once again revive the old Eubank-Benn rivalry their fathers started.Â
Eubank Jr came out victorious 116-112 on all of the judges’ scorecards last time out.Â
Daily Mail Sport was granted exclusive access to his training camp, overseen byBrian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre, trainer of the supremely talented American boxer Terence Crawford.
There, Eubank Jr told Charlotte Daly that he wants to do better than a points victory this time.
‘We’ve got to throw in banana skins, catch Benn off guard. I want to stop him. For that, I’ve got to fight differently.’
That’s why he brought in BoMac. ‘I decided to team back up with BoMac because he’s smart, cunning, cerebral,’ Eubank Jr says. ‘He studies guys, figures them out, finds the weak points. I wanted new eyes on this fight.’
Eubank Jr joked he had been sabotaged by Conor Benn after getting stuck in a lift on arrival at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Chris Eubank takes lounges alongside rapper 50 Cent, who was in his son’s camp
Statham and Huntington-Whiteley take their seats next to each other before the big fight
Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan looked suave as sat with Rod Stewart
Film director Guy Ritchie was having a great time sat alongside Statham on Saturday night
Former spice girls singer Emma Bunton clutched a bag as she sat near the ring
The boxer and his legendary father smirked as the elevator stalled as they rolled up for his second fight against Benn this year.
Eubank Jr is looking to make it back-to-back wins in the family feud after inflicting Benn’s first defeat of his career on him back in April.
The 36-year-old has promised the show will be a ‘fight of the decade contender’ despite there being no belts on the line.Â
‘The sabotage begins again, huh?’ he said after the lift ground to a halt. ‘Now the lift doesn’t work.
‘It’s okay. Stop the lifts, stop the cars from coming in, it will not change your fate, my friend.
‘An a***-beating is coming. That schooling is hours away. Only a few hours left.’Â
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Thierry Henry and Curtis Jones check in ringside for Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn – as Piers Brosnan and Jason Statham also join Tottenham crowd for grudge rematch