BILLY JOE SAUNDERS BANNED FROM CHRIS EUBANK JR'S DRESSING ROOM AS CHAOS ERUPTS IN ROW

Billy Joe Saunders was denied entry to Chris Eubank Junior's dressing room as a huge row erupted and Conor Benn's 'mind games' backfired ahead of their fight

Billy Joe Saunders was denied entry to Chris Eubank Junior's dressing room as chaos erupted with a huge row backstage at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The British boxer, 35, was due to inspect the hand wrapping of Eubank Jr ahead of his clash with Conor Benn but was not allowed in to check his wraps.

Conor Benn, 28, planned the stunt in a bid to get into his rival's head, given Saunders' win over Eubank Jr, 35, earlier in their careers. But his plan backfired as Saunders rowed with Eubank Jr's manager after being refused entry.

A member of a boxer’s team is allowed into the opponent’s dressing room when they are wrapping their hands to ensure they are done within the rules.

But Saunders is not a British Boxing Board of Control licence holder so Eubank Jr's team did not have to let him in.

Chris Eubank Jr had insisted Saunders - who beat him in 2014 and been involved in plenty of verbal spats with ‘Next Gen’ - inspecting his hand wraps wouldn't unsettle him.

Speaking this week, he said: "You can't unsettle me. I'm ice cold. Would I be alright with it? I mean, obviously, I would prefer him not to be there, but if he does it's not gonna affect anything, you know, it's not like he's gonna be talking to me.

"He'll be in his little corner, watching and I'll get my hands wrapped and then he'll get out of the room. It makes zero difference."

Earlier in the evening, Chris Eubank Senior sent fans wild by turning up with his son. The iconic fighter, 58, whose fights with Conor Benn's dad Nigel Benn in the 1990s are the stuff of boxing legend, had seemingly become estranged from his child.

He even went as far as to say he wanted his son's boxing licence revoked ahead of the bout. Eubank Sr had branded his son a "disgrace" and vowed never to be in his corner again after he slapped an egg off Benn’s cheek at a press conference. He then implored the British Boxing Board of Control to stop the fight over fears at what weight the bout was happening at.

But at 8.15pm on Saturday his father emerged, smiling as he got out of a large car and then his son came around the other side and they were arm in arm as they walked into the arena. The crowd in North London erupted into rapturous cheers as footage of the pair arriving together was played on big screens in the stadium.

- Neil Docking

'DISGRACE' - WHY CHRIS EUBANK JAS FALLEN OUT WITH CHRIS EUBANK JR BEFORE CONOR BENN FIGHT

Chris Eubank Snr has labelled his son as a disgrace

Legendary fighter Chris Eubank is not on speaking terms with his son, Chris Eubank Jr, and has vowed he will not be involved in his boxing career

Chris Eubank has labelled his son Chris Eubank Jr a 'disgrace' and vowed never to be in his corner again.

The British boxing icon was instrumental in the early stages of his son's career, but their relationship has soured over time. Eubank Snr has openly criticised his son's forthcoming fight with Conor Benn, 32 years after his notorious two-bout rivalry with Conor's father, Nigel Benn.

He is convinced that the significant physical edge Eubank Jr will have on the night could lead to severe repercussions. Benn is moving up from welterweight to face natural middleweight Eubank Jr at a sold-out Wembley Stadium on April 26.

The bout was initially scheduled for October 2022. Eubank Sr was vocally opposed to that initial fight, which would have taken place almost 29 years to the day after Eubank Sr fought Benn Sr for the second and final time.

But it was abruptly cancelled after Benn tested positive for a prohibited substance, allegations he has since been exonerated of. At a launch press conference in February ahead of the big face-off finally taking place on April 26, Eubank Jr incited a mass brawl by hitting Benn in the face with an egg, reports the Daily Record.

In a fiery interview with YouTube channel Seconds Out, Eubank Snr firmly stated that he wants no part in his son's career. He blasted: "I won't be an accomplice to their stupidity, to their circus. Junior, you are smashing an egg against this guy's face.

"I taught you that? I didn't teach you that. Who taught you that? Did Karron (his mother) teach you that? That's disgraceful. You think I am going to stand in your corner? You must be mad. I would never be in your corner, you are a disgrace.

"You are smashing an egg in someone's face and then you are trying to justify it. There is no justification for that. There is nothing noble about that."

Last October, Eubank Jr had publicly urged his father to put their differences aside ahead of the big Tottenham Hotspur Stadium showdown. He said: "I would love him and the fact that I even have to say that is insane.

"His son is going to fight the son of his arch nemesis (from) all those years ago when he was a world champion. How is it a thing that he may not be there? But it is a thing.

"We don't talk and he has shown no interest in my career for a long period of time now. He has shown no interest in me in a long period of time. For a long time, I tried to act like it was cool... I got sick of that shit. It's b*******. We're not cool.

"For someone who has lost a son (Eubank Jr's son Sebastian tragically died in 2021) I think it's a pretty insane thing to be doing by not speaking to your remaining kids.

"But he is his own man and he is dealing with his situation and all I can do is sit, wait and hope that he comes around at some point. But I can't tell you if that will happen any time soon."

Speaking on on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Eubank Jr explained why he and his dad have become estranged. He said: "It got to a stage where I needed to step out of the shadow completely. It’s a big shadow.

"I realised I have to separate myself from this huge character that’s always next to me... My old man was always next to me. I got to a stage where I decided that I needed to walk my own path.

"He was not happy with that decision. And then you have a situation with my brother passing away. That affected him in a deep way - affected all of us - mental health is a real thing.

"That incident, coupled with the fact that we were already not seeing eye to eye, destroyed a large part of the relationship and it still hasn’t recovered."

- Anthony Evans and Will Schofield

CHRIS EUBANK JR AND LIAM SMITH TRADE VERBALS AHEAD OF CONFERENCE