Whilst there was little action inside the ring in the last week, boxing never sleeps, and two of its biggest fights are all the talk as the sport readies for a potentially monster schedule.  

It is a schedule that is important for the trajectory of British boxing too. 

There’s a fresh world title challenger, one of our best travels Stateside in an attempt to unify, whilst two of our most exciting fighters face off in a domestic world title banger. 

Oh yeah, and there are two pretty big rematches on the horizon. 

But it is the powerful force of nostalgia, with a side of hostility, negation, and sheer immensity that make the fight between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr inescapable. 

At the brink of insignificance, it was the revival of the Benn-Eubank rivalry that threw Chris a career buoyancy aid. Then, an 11th-hour denial sent shockwaves through boxing. 

But amongst the controversy, we had a fight growing in size. And after Chris’ comprehensive win against Liam Smith, it seems that there is no path other than to settle this score. 

Two December dates - 2nd and 9th - are the target, with there being little room for manoeuvre in Matchroom’s hectic run for the remainder of 2023.  

Talks are currently ongoing, with Conor expressing his desire to keep things short and sweet. 

‘I’m tired of him - the name first, ring walk second… who cares? Come in at whatever weight you want. A fight’s a fight. 160, no rehydration clause, no problem.’ 

When we can expect all of the finer details to be confirmed, who knows? We may even see Conor box prior to December in an attempt to shake off his spell of inactivity. 

September 30th in London or September 23rd in Orlando have both been touted by Eddie Hearn, with an announcement surely imminent as those dates close in. 

Whatever happens, there is a good chance that 14 months after the first failed attempt, and 30 years after their fathers did so, a Benn and a Eubank may go head-to-head this year. 

Whether a Joshua and a Wilder will go head-to-head, well, that is a completely different story. 

As of two days ago, the Saudi shoot-out seemed out of reach, after fears that Skills Challenge wanted to shift their focus towards delivering more crossover fights. 

A proverbial kick in the nuts. 

However, the WBC’s latest ranking update on Sunday evening boosted dented hopes. 

Joshua’s climb to second means only Wilder sits above him amongst the challengers. This brings into play the potential of the WBC calling a final eliminator between the pair. 

They haven’t yet, but they may well do so in order to replace the now-cancelled eliminator between Wilder and former WBC number two Andy Ruiz. 

I know, it’s confusing as f***. 

You also have to question whether the WBC would want to play the hand of Tyson Fury too. 

He is a poster boy champion for the governing body, and calling a mandatory would force the Gypsy King to potentially vacate if he is to continue in the crossover scene. 

Look there is a long way to go until that yet, and by the sounds of it there’s a long way to go until we see Joshua and Wilder throw it down too. 

Boxing, you never disappoint. 

Oscar Bevis