Former WBO super middleweight champion, Billy Joe Saunders, has weighed in on the upcoming fight between Chris Eubank Jnr and Conor Benn.

Last week it was announced that 35 year-old Eubank - The Ring’s No. 5 ranked middleweight - and Benn will finally meet in the ring this spring.

It is heavily rumored that the fight will take place at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26th. The fight will take place at the middleweight limit of 160lbs although it is expected that there will be a rehydration clause of 170lbs for a same day weigh in.

In October 2022, Eubank, 34-3 (25 KOs), and Benn, 23-0 (14 KOs), were just days away from a 157lb catchweight fight at London’s O2 Arena when news broke that Benn had returned an adverse analytical finding in a pre-fight VADA [Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency] test. The results of a second failed test were made public soon after and the 28 year-old has been embroiled in a protracted legal battle to clear his name ever since.

Benn has boxed twice in America in the intervening period but, last November, the United Kingdom's National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) cleared him to resume his career in the UK.

Saunders hasn’t boxed since Mexican superstar, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, damaged his eye socket and stopped him after eight rounds of their WBO/WBC super middleweight title unification at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium in May 2021.

It is over a decade since Saunders overcame a strong finish from Eubank to earn a split decision victory over his rival in a British, Commonwealth and European middleweight title fight.

The two were linked to a rematch time and time again over the following years but could never agree a deal. He has, however, clearly been keeping a close eye on his rival’s movements.

“It’s an interesting fight isn’t it? You’ve gotta look at both aspects of it,” Saunders told TalkSport.

“Obviously Eubank now is getting old, he's on old legs. He's a natural bigger man than Benn, all the pressure is on Eubank really rather than Benn.

“Benn's come off a little bit of inactivity, it's a new weight class for him. But the good thing for Benn is that he's not fighting a world elite operator at that weight. So it's a winnable fight, well winnable.

“Benn could have waited another year for the fight if he’d wanted to. Benn’s looking strong. I’ve seen him training. I’ve got a good relationship with Benn and chat to him quite frequently. I see these stories on my WhatsApp, he’s looking very strong and he’s always in the gym. He’s training hard. I fancy Benn.”