Denzel Bentley Open to Chris Eubank Jr Under One Condition [Exclusive]

WBO world middleweight champion Denzel Bentley is in position for big fights — and wants them now.

Bentley recently spoke to KO On SI about his desire to fight retired former champion Terence Crawford. If that fight doesn’t materialize, there is an all-UK clash he believes would attract plenty of attention: Chris Eubank Jr. — under one condition.

“I’d love a fight with Chris Eubank Jr. I’ve wanted that fight for a big chunk of my career,” Bentley told KO on SI. “Now that I am a world champion, I think it’s a bit more realistic.”

Bentley, however, put a major caveat on the potential fight. Eubank Jr. is approaching the latter stages of his career, but Bentley doesn’t want an “Adios” fight that is little more than a cash grab.

“If he isn’t in any real good shape, then it’s not a fight I want,” Bentley said. “To be honest, just let him do his thing and collect his last paychecks.”

Eubank Jr. has fought 39 times professionally, sharing the ring with George Groves, Billy Joe Saunders, Liam Smith and Conor Benn.

Bentley’s career is only now enjoying the ecstasy of becoming a world champion. It has also seen him nearly leave the blue-collar sport for a blue-collar job. At one stage, he applied to become an Amazon delivery driver. He has also tasted defeat and isn’t afraid of losing again.

“I felt like I was invincible before I lost. No one can beat me, and then that invincibility that I thought I had was broken,” Bentley said. “You can’t always win, but how you come back also… shows your character and gives us a good story to tell.”

Bentley said defeat became a learning experience, forcing him to rebuild rather than allowing a setback to define him. He bounced back earlier this year against Endry Saavedra to become the WBO interim champion and was eventually upgraded to full champion.

Outside the ring, he leads a simple family life and watches plenty of classic fights.

A future British legend?

“Hagler, Hearns, Leonard — that was a golden era,” he said.

Bentley also grew up watching Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., James Toney, Antonio Tarver and Joe Calzaghe. Another inspiration was Chris Eubank Jr.’s famous father, Chris Eubank Sr., one of the defining figures of British boxing in the 1990s.

Now Bentley has an opportunity to build his own legacy. A victory over Eubank Jr. would add one of British boxing’s biggest names to his résumé — and perhaps ensure future middleweights remember Bentley just as fondly.

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