Boxing

Billy Joe Saunders Denied Entry Into Chris Eubank Jr's Locker Room

Conor Benn planned to have Billy Joe Saunders watch Chris Eubank Jr. have his hands wrapped ahead of their fight.

Nathaniel Marrero

Billy Joe Saunders
Billy Joe Saunders / Dave Thompson/Matchroom Boxing

Things are starting to reach their boiling point before Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn even step into the ring.

Benn appointed Billy Joe Saunders, a former middleweight and super middleweight champion and the first man to defeat Eubank Jr., to watch Eubank Jr. as he had his hands wrapped for the fight. The security said there was already a member of Benn's team that was in the locker room to watch Eubank Jr. get his hands wrapped, therefore denying Saunders entry.

As a result, a melee nearly ensued between Saunders and security.

Before every fight, a fighter from each team goes into the opposing locker room to make sure their hands are wrapped properly. Typically, things proceed without issue, but every once in a while, there's an instance where a situation ensues, like when Shane Mosley's trainer Naazim Richardson caught Antonio Margarito with an illegal substance in his wraps.

Margarito was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission for one year after he was stopped by Mosley on Jan. 24, 2009.

The build-up to Eubank Jr. vs. Benn has been full of surprises, including the shocking appearance of Chris Eubank Sr. with his son. One wouldn't be surprised if there's more to come heading into their epic grudge match.

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Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

Nathaniel Marrero is a writer for the Boxing, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Ravens On SI sites. He's also written for the Orlando Sentinel and MLB.com, and was a part of UCF's sports show, Hitting The Field. He attended UCF and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023. Twitter/X: Nate_Marrero