Chris Eubank Sr has explained why he performed a major u-turn to accompany his son to the ring for his stunning victory over Conor Benn.
The pair of second generation rivals settled their feud inside the squared circle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night, with the IBO middleweight title on the line.
Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn had two classic bouts in the late 1990s and their sons followed in their footsteps to forge professional careers in boxing.
But in the bitter build up, which saw Eubank fined for cracking Benn with an egg, 'Simply the Best' was not involved at any pre-fight events and branded his son "a disgrace".
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While Benn's father was present throughout, it appeared as though the Eubanks were not on speaking terms amid a fractured relationship.
However, in a huge shock, Eubank Sr was filmed backstage coming out of a car and put his arm around his son - with the WWE-style segment receiving a thunderous cheer from those in attendance.
Eubank came out to his dad's old Tina Turner theme song and Sr walked him to the ring, sharing embraces with his opponents both before and after the fights.
Fans wondered what prompted the change of heart from Eubank Sr and he explained his decision to attend in an interview with the Daily Mail.
"The idea is to keep everyone in suspense or else you give away the show," Eubank said.
"You have bad actors who give away the show and you have actors who win Oscars.
"He has taken over the last four years of his career. In that time he's learned effectively what I was protecting him from. Experience is invaluable and love is not something you can buy and everyone's looking after their own kingdom.
"When everyone's looking after your kingdom and their not your dad, you're being rinsed and that's a bit cruel. What do I want in terms of goods from my son? I want nothing. I'm father, I'm dad. I'm the king. When I say that, I mean king as in the royal frame of mind which is that I back my son no matter what.
"The egg thing he did, [I was] very disappointed. But I forgive instantly."
In an absolute war with Benn, Eubank prevailed via unanimous decision - with all three judges scoring it 116-112 in his favour.
Speaking afterwards, Eubank said: “I am so proud of him. That’s my son. I was always going to be here."
After such a close fight, it appears as though fans will be treated to a second encounter as a rematch clause was included in the deal.
Even with a £375,000 fine for failing to make weight, Eubank Jr is poised to make £10 million from the fight after successfully negotiating a 55-45 split.
Topics: Chris Eubank Jr, Conor Benn
Josh Lawless