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7 January 2025, 12:45 | Updated: 7 January 2025, 23:10
Negotiations between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn have reached a crucial stage, with promoter Ben Shalom hopeful their blockbuster British bout can be signed and sealed this week.
The prospect of Eubank Jr and Benn finally settling their rivalry in the ring was given renewed hope in November when the National Anti-Doping Panel lifted Benn's provisional suspension, saying it was "not comfortably satisfied" that UKAD had proved the 28-year-old had committed a doping offence.
The ruling saw negotiations between the Eubank Jr and Benn camps resume, but the fight has yet to be announced ahead of the proposed early-2025 date.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Boxxer promoter Shalom who represents Eubank Jr, was optimistic the fight could still be made, attributing the delay in the signing of contracts to the sheer scale of the contest.
"If a deal is going to be made, it's going to be made this week," Shalom said. "We want to make the fight; they want to make the fight, but now it's crunch time.
"It can be hard with a fight of this magnitude, particularly when there is so much bad blood. It's not like the first time, there's a genuine rivalry now.
"We had a similar situation with Amir Khan and Kell Brook. It didn't look like that fight was ever going to happen, but we got that made and we're hopeful we can do the same for Eubank Jr vs Benn.
"It's one of the biggest fights out there for British boxing alongside Fury vs Joshua. I believe it sells out any stadium in the country."
Shalom revealed to Sky Sports in December that his fighter Eubank Jr has agreed to a 55-45 per cent purse split for the proposed fight against Benn.
"We have done an unbelievable job getting Chris to accept a 55 per cent fee. We've worked wonders," Shalom said.
"This isn't even close to a 50-50 fight, so the fact Chris is managing to compromise on that is hugely generous from him. I've done my job, and now it's time for them to be sensible.
"The fact they've already got us down to that shows how well we've done. If the fight doesn't get made now, then we know what it is."
A potential fight date had been targeted by Benn next month, although it remains to be seen whether a deal can be agreed in time.
"February, God willing," Benn said. "We're aiming for February.
"I believed I would be cleared. I didn't want to be unprepared. I didn't want to be 'oh I need six months to get ready'. I didn't want to have to lose loads of weight. I wanted to be ready.
"I feel rejuvenated, full of life, excited, vicious, motivated. Now that I am cleared, the shackles are off."
(c) Sky Sports 2025: Crunch time for Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn negotiations, says promoter Ben Shalom