Can Eubank Jr get back to his best after reuniting with trainer for Benn rematch?

Chris Eubank Jr has reunited with Brian ‘Bomac’ McIntyre... Sam Brookes assesses whether it will lead to an improved performance in his rematch with Conor Benn

Chris Eubank Jr defeated Liam Smith with a 10th-round stoppage in Manchester (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Wire)

Chris Eubank Jr will have an old but familiar voice in his corner when he faces Conor Benn for the second time on November 15, live on DAZN.

It was confirmed on Wednesday that Eubank Jr has reunited with Brian ‘Bomac’ McIntyre for the Benn rematch after the pair briefly worked together in 2023.

Eubank Jr and McIntyre enjoyed a successful partnership two years ago but went their separate ways after just one fight and it was Johnathon Banks who guided Eubank Jr to victory in his first meeting with Benn in April.

It was a 12-round war of attrition earlier this year, with Eubank Jr largely relying on his stamina and sheer willpower to prevail on points.

But with McIntyre back onboard, could we see a new and improved version of Eubank Jr this time around?

Let’s take a look back at the history between Eubank Jr and McIntyre, and assess whether Bomac can bring out the best in his charge in November.

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Eubank Jr accused Benn and Eddie Hearn of blocking his ambulance to hospital (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

Eubank Jr hires McIntyre for Smith revenge mission

Eubank Jr suffered the first knockout loss of his career when he was stopped by Liam Smith inside four rounds in January 2023.

The rematch was set for eight months later and Eubank Jr decided he needed a new trainer to help him exact revenge.

He turned to McIntyre in a bid to get his career back on track. The first fight had gone disastrously wrong for Eubank Jr and many expected a similar result in the rematch.

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But the Brighton-based boxer looked far more switched on as he punished Smith from the opening bell.

A trademark uppercut sent Smith to the canvas in the fourth round, and after the Liverpudlian went down again in the 10th, the fight was waved off.

Eubank Jr had produced a classy display – one of his best in years – to pick up an emphatic victory.

(PA)

Eubank Jr and McIntyre split after airport arrest

After guiding Eubank Jr to his win over Smith, McIntyre was set to return to the US but was arrested at Manchester Airport after a gun was found in his suitcase.

The following month, McIntyre was given a suspended sentence after admitting to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

He was subsequently allowed to fly back to the US after avoiding jail.

Meanwhile, Eubank Jr opted to wait another 13 months for his next fight and when he returned to knock out Kamil Szeremeta in October 2024, McIntyre was not in his corner.

Eubank Jr cruised to victory against his overmatched opponent before having a face-off with Conor Benn afterwards.

The grudge match was finally made for April and Eubank Jr decided he wanted Johnathon Banks rather than McIntyre in his corner.

Chris Eubank Jr (centre) after dropping Kamil Szeremeta (Getty Images)

Eubank Jr digs deep to beat Benn

Eubank Jr and Benn’s first fight will be remembered as a modern-day classic, but it came down to guts and determination rather than pure boxing skills.

Both men threw everything they had at each other as they traded at close quarters. Eubank Jr later admitted he stopped listening to his corner and made his own decision to abandon the gameplan of outboxing Benn.

Banks wanted him to use his jab more, but Eubank Jr had other ideas as he tried to push Benn back by throwing flurries of punches.

This strategy made things more difficult to Eubank Jr as he had to prove his toughness to come through some shaky moments.

It was far from the prettiest performance of his career, but showed a different side to Eubank Jr as he got his hand raised at the final bell.

Chris Eubank Jr punches Conor Benn (Getty Images)

Who else has McIntyre coached?

While Eubank Jr was going toe-to-toe with Benn, McIntyre was training Terence Crawford for the fight of his life against Canelo Alvarez.

The hard work paid off this past weekend as Crawford outpointed Canelo to become a five-weight world champion.

McIntyre revealed afterwards that he had been preparing Crawford for six months and the pound-for-pound superstar delivered a career-best performance to shock the boxing world.

Crawford is McIntyre’s most famous pupil, but he has also worked with several other world champions.

He helped Jamel Herring win the WBO super featherweight title in 2019, with the American going on to make three successful defences of his belt, a run that included a victory over Carl Frampton.

Bomac has also trained former titlists Keyshawn Davis and Maurice Hooker.

This demonstrates McIntyre’s experience at the highest level, and now Eubank Jr has brought him back into the fold ahead of his return fight with Benn.

(AP)

Can McIntyre get Eubank Jr back to his best?

April’s slugfest between Eubank Jr and Benn will live long in the memory, but McIntyre will believe his fighter can make things easier for himself the second time around.

Eubank Jr boxed with discipline to break Smith down and stop him two years ago when he was last with McIntyre.

That all went out the window against Benn and it led to a more exciting but chaotic fight.

McIntyre will want Eubank Jr to establish more control in the rematch rather than getting involved in a shootout where he could be just one punch away from disaster.

If Eubank Jr can stick to the gameplan better like he did against Smith, he could find it easier to keep Benn at bay.

Eubank Jr showed he can come out on top in a toe-to-toe scrap in April. Now, with McIntyre back by his side, he has the chance to prove he can use his skills to produce an even better performance on November 15.

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