Hearn Furious Over Eubank’s Actions, Accuses Ben Shalom of Involvement
The first press conference for the much-anticipated fight between Conor Benn and IBO middleweight champion Chris Eubank Jr. took an unexpected turn when Eubank struck Benn with an egg during their face-off. Security quickly stepped in to prevent further escalation.
Promoter Eddie Hearn blasted Eubank’s behavior, calling it premeditated and completely unacceptable:
"Everything Eubank does is planned. He doesn’t just react in the moment—everything is scripted. Honestly, I think it was a cheap shot.
He brought an egg, held onto it the entire press conference, and then smashed it in Conor’s face. I honestly thought it was glass at first, judging by the sound it made.
In today’s world, this will obviously go viral, and some will find it funny. But in boxing, things change after something like this.
I’m not even sure we can hold the next press conference on Thursday. This isn’t something you just ‘sleep on’ and forget—this has become a contest of who will get the upper hand next.”
Tensions escalated when Hearn confronted rival promoter Ben Shalom, accusing him of knowing about Eubank’s plans beforehand:
Shalom (S): "Eddie thinks I knew about this."
Hearn (H): "At first, I thought it was glass. Either way, he hit Conor in the eyes with something. And I’m angry because I know Eubank plans everything."
S: "I agree with that."
H: "So, he went into the kitchen this morning, grabbed an egg, and didn’t tell you what he was going to do?"
S: "When we met before the press conference, I asked him, ‘What are you going to say?’ I didn’t ask what he was going to do. He didn’t tell me his plan, so I had no idea."
H: "So you’re saying you didn’t expect this?"
S: "No. Should he have done it? No. Probably not."
H: "‘Probably’ not?"
S: "But I do think it was bad."
H: "If anyone sees Nigel Benn today—avoid him."
S: "Especially me."
H: "Oh yeah, you’re done. Stay away from Nigel Benn today. This isn’t something Conor will just sleep on and say, ‘Alright, no big deal.’ The moment he sees Eubank again, he’s going for him."
The Eubank vs. Benn fight is scheduled for April 26 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.