Conor Benn beat the remnants of Chris Eubank Jnr. over twelve one sided rounds, finishing with two knockdowns in the 12th, to stretch the margin of victory to one of utter dominance. Eubank Jnr. sacrificed what remained of his energy reserves to make 160 pounds. A costly decision.
Conor Benn was the clear winner Saturday night in North London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Boxing wasn't.
Chris Eubank Jnr. showed character and will to see the final bell. Any observer of boxing could see the fragility of the 36-year-old from the moment his t-shirt was removed, what followed once the bell rang, confirmed the suspicion he sacrificed what remained of his energy in the purgatory of making 160 pounds.
It shouldn't detract from the composure and nuance of Benn's performance, which was controlled and based on strength, an excellent jab, superb foot and head movement which were both superior and improved from their first fight.
In the end, it was a lopsided decision win for Benn, avenging not only his loss to Eubank Jnr. in April, but his father Nigel failing to defeat Chris Eubank Snr. in their two meetings in the early 1990s.
Eubank Jnr. offered credit in defeat. Chose not to reach for excuses or reasons. He is a grown man aware of his limitations, aware of what the Middleweight division limit demands of him physically and presumably, conscious this was the most lucrative fight available to him at what he believed was modest risk.
The depletion of what he had left cannot be denied. It makes these pair of fights more conspicuously lurid. Their first fight proved to be the point of convergence between the declining Eubank and the emerging Benn. The damage Eubank accrued, while exhausted, and despite winning, was compounded by making weight once more and the rematch found the two men in entirely different places on their respective career arcs.
Saturday night the differences were obvious. From early on, Eubank Jnr. had nothing really to offer, except a potentially lucky punch. That never came. And, in the other corner Benn put on the performance of his career.
This observer hopes Eubank now retires. Benn, despite his chequered past, will now be forgiven for those transgressions and find himself as a name contender at Welterweight. He was crowd favourite in the Stadium tonight. Vindicating the support Eddie Hearn retained during the suspensions, at least financially.
One moves on. One, perhaps, now departs.