24 April 2025
Picture By Dave Thompson Matchroom Boxing
The fighters face off on the stage.
| Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman: “Thanks to everyone for coming today, firstly. Amazing support from the media for a very big night for British boxing. A very big week for The Ring Magazine. Incredible support from His Excellency. It’s crazy to think that on Saturday night 65,000 people will fill this incredible stadium for a fight of the generations. Chris Eubank Jr against Conor Benn. But also amazing to think that six days after that we’ll be closing down Times Square with The Ring Magazine for just an iconic night in New York. 24 hours later Canelo Alvarez will make his debut in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the undisputed Super-Middleweight World Championship. Just an incredible time for boxing. “An incredible undercard. On the Matchroom side, two guys that we love and are in huge fights. Chev Clarke against Viddal Riley is a main event fight. Certainly a co-main event on any card. That’s coming earlier in the night. A fight that could steal the show is Liam Smith against Aaron McKenna. I think it’s a brilliant fight and even the two fights that we aren’t involved with – Billam-Smith against Brandon Glanton. Brandon has got plenty to say. I think he’s a great character and he’s coming to win. Chris Billam-Smith has been an unbelievable servant to British boxing. We’ve also got Yarde against Arthur 3. An unbelievable undercard, an iconic main event and British boxing firmly on the map this weekend. It’s been a great run. Thanks to everyone involved.” Ben Shalom: “It means a lot. It’s an absolutely enormous event. Four unbelievable British fights on the undercard. Each one of them could easily headline their own shows. For our guys, Chris Billam-Smith coming off the back of the defeat against Zurdo Ramirez for the unification. He’s looking to bounce straight back in against Brandon Glanton who we know very well. It’s an absolute firefight. Viddal Riley, it’s his chance to make a huge statement on this card. I believe he’s going to steal the show. He’s fighting Chev Clarke, Eddie’s guy. I think we’re going to get another win over Matchroom. It is just a beautiful beautiful undercard on an unbelievable show. Thank you to His Excellency. Thank you to BOXXER, to Matchroom, for putting on what his a historic event. I’m really looking forward to it.” Chris Eubank Jr: “I know what’s coming. I’ve prepared my whole life for these moments. I’ve put the time in. I’ve dedicated decades to this sport. I’ve done it all without cheating, without cutting any corners, and I’m proud of that. The mentality I have, the experience I have, the fortitude and the will is what I will be using on the night to take out my adversary Conor Benn. “Conor speaks about pressure and dealing with it but, there’s a reason why he had his training camp in Spain. The kid had to flee his own country to prepare for this fight. He knew that he couldn’t handle the pressure of walking these UK streets and having people shouting out ‘drug cheat’ and egg jokes. He didn’t want to be involved in any of that. So he took himself away, he hid away. Now he’s back and now he thinks he can use me to kind of get back into the good graces. “I haven’t fled, I haven’t hid away from anything. I’ve been to gyms all over London these past two months. I’ve been and spoke to kids, I’ve done all the media obligations I’ve needed to do around the country. I’ve felt the energy on the streets of the UK over the last two months. It’s real. People are invested in this. Everywhere I go people are screaming. Most of the time it’s positive, which is a new thing for me – I’m still getting used to that. I am happy with the place I am at.” Conor Benn: “This is what I do. I love this game. This is what I live for. This is every fighter’s dream when they turn professional – to live this life. There’s no more pressure than a 19-year-old kid with no amateur experience walking out to a packed O2 Arena. That’s pressure. I’ve been doing this for ten years and I’m more than prepared and more than ready. I wish it was Saturday night tonight. “No pressure. I live for this. I’ve had the fight over 100 times in my head. For me it’s just focusing on my training. Removing myself from my comfort zone, my familiarity, my family and fully dialling in. I’m not going to lower myself to Chris and go back and forth. All that PR is done. I’m excited to get in there and put my hands on him on Saturday night.” Anthony Yarde: “When I first fought Lyndon Arthur I was going through a lot. I’ve never been one to make excuses. It was during COVID, no crowd, I lost four family members – my Dad being one of them. My mentality at the time was, you’ve got to be professional – if a fight is offered to you you’ve got to take it. It will keep my occupied and keep my mind off it. I didn’t get the decision. He won by split decision. I was fuming. I was just saying to myself, I don’t think he’s got the ability to beat me. When I watched it back, I was disappointed in myself. “When the rematch got made I said, alright, I’ve got to show them what I’m about. What caused a bit of grit as well, is how he acted after that fight. After the first fight there was an arrogance that came about that wasn’t there before. Before it was very respectful. I congratulated him. I come from a similar background. “When the second fight came about I said I’m going to knock him out. I’m going to show him what I’m about, and that chip still hasn’t gone. I’ll be honest with you. I’m looking forward to it.” Lyndon Arthur: “It was never really one where I’d lose sleep over it not happening. I always thought that it would happen eventually. “It’s the third fight. The way that I lost the second fight is, I won’t say embarrassing because it’s the fight game, but it kind of stung me a little bit and it was a hard bitter pill to swallow. I’m here now to right that wrong.” Liam Smith: “I want to thank His Excellency for having me on a huge Ring card. Eddie, Frank Smith – good to be back. I’ve had a tough 12 months. 18 months since I lost to Chris. Getting injured after it, falling ill for the huge September card at Wembley. It’s good to be back. It’s good to be back fit and healthy, back in shape. I’m looking forward to this. The best Liam Smith turns up, Aaron McKenna is made for me. That’s the one I fully intent to turn up. “Him and his brother, they’re kind of the same thing. They’re game. They’re very hungry, enthusiastic kids. I also feel that’s going to be Aaron’s downfall. Wanting to have an eight minute stare off with me. We’ve got another three. We’ve probably got another one in a minute. I think he showed a little bit of a kink in his armour already. He’s got a lot to soak up on Saturday night.” Aaron McKenna: “I understand there is a lot of people saying this is too soon for me, it’s too early and I’m too young. I don’t have the experience but it’s my time to show everyone that all the training, all the hard work, all the experience I’ve had through the years will pay off. On Saturday night I look forward to it. “I want to beat the beat version of Liam Smith and I do expect the best version of Liam Smith to turn up. I want the one that knocked out Chris Eubank. I believe that’s the one that his coming. It was only two fights ago that he knocked out Chris Eubank Jr in devastating fashion. That’s the one I do hope that shows up.” Cheavon Clarke: “First of all, good evening to everybody. Thank you to all the organisers. After the defeat, like anybody, you don’t want your ‘0’ to go. So I took myself away, been in the dungeon as you can see. I’ve just been working on the things I didn’t do right that night. Come Saturday night we’ll show that. “I mean it would have been better at the Emirates wouldn’t it? This is a toilet. “Destiny changes every day doesn’t it. It changes every decision you make. it’s good he’s got a crystal ball. He’s in the way of me providing for my family. That’s ultimately what it comes down to. My family has got to eat. I’ve got plans. Me and Eddie have got plans for the future. “It’s going to be great. Tune in on Saturday night. This fight is going to steal the show.” Viddal Riley: “Firstly I’d like to thank all of the organisers. Respect to everyone that has allowed me to have this opportunity. It is destiny, because there’s been many things along my journey that I’ve said I’d do years before I’d do it. It looked like it might not happen. It looked like it would never happen. Then I’m on the road, I’m on the track. I’m here in Tottenham. I grew up five minutes down the road. I get to fight an Arsenal fan for the British Title. This is destiny. I just need to fulfil it and I’ll do that on Saturday night. “It’s not just the last two performances. I’ve watched Chev for years. I’ve seen Chev for years. I know what he brings to the table. He’s going to bring something different. That’s exciting. That’s a challenge. I like that. But whatever he brings, I will come out on top.” Chris Billam-Smith: “I’ve got plenty to improve on. That’s what I’ve learnt from my last fight. I’m honoured to be on a card like this. Thank you to everyone that’s involved. It’s time for me to get back to winning ways and that’s the plan. “He’s highly ranked with all of the governing bodies. It’s a good opportunity for me to make a huge statement and then get a shot at one of the champions again. “I don’t know what I’ve done to upset him. I’m sure he’ll tell everyone in a minute. He’s told most people.” Brandon Glanton: “First and foremost, I want to thank His Excellency for having me here. BOXXER and Matchroom – obviously my management team. I wouldn’t even be here without those guys. Thank you for putting this together for me. It’s beautiful. “As far as Chris, he knows exactly where that energy came from. Chris is a bitch. It’s just plain and simple. Chris is bitch. Obviously I’m in the UK so he’s got plenty of fans here, but what I love about this place is it’s a real fighting country. Everyone knows boxing was born here. Rounds one, two, three will role by and they’ll be screaming for me. Chris is a bitch. A disrespectful bitch. “I ain’t planning on getting much into it. At the media workout in 2023, when Okolie and Billam-Smith fought, he was very disrespectful. Obviously everyone knows I was there in support of Okolie, and helping him get ready for the fight. In appreciation for the fight itself, you know I’m one to congratulate him for having the opportunity. There was no malice. There was no attitude, no problem. I just wanted to congratulate to making it to the stage where I wanted to be. I stuck my hand out and he walked right past me. It’s disrespectful. We’re men before we’re fighters. He’s a father before a fighter. Your son has a bitch as a father. I don’t care about these cameras and these lights. I’m going to f***k you up. That’s why I’m here.” Eubank Jr vs. Benn tops a huge night of boxing in London, Ilford’s former World Title challenger Anthony Yarde (26-3, 24 KOs) fights Manchester’s Lyndon Arthur (24-2, 16 KOs) for the third time – with the WBA Intercontinental Heavyweight Title on the line, Liverpool’s former WBO Super-Welterweight World Champion Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) takes on Ireland’s Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KO) for the WBA International Middleweight Title, Gravesend’s Cheavon Clarke defends his British Cruiserweight Title against Tottenham’s Viddal Riley and Bournemouth’s former WBO Cruiserweight World Champion Chris Billam-Smith (20-2, 13 KOs) meets the USA’s Brandon Glanton (20-2, 17 KOs) over 12 rounds. |
Please follow and like us:
