We have acted for the British Boxing Board of Control and Mr Robert Smith, its General Secretary, in relation to claims arising from alleged defamatory statements made by Mr Chris Eubank Jnr in September 2025.
The comments were made during a press conference held as part of the build-up to the scheduled grudge rematch between Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn which took place during November of the same year. During that conference, it is alleged that Mr Eubank Jnr took aim at the British Boxing Board of Control and its executive leadership in a way that both claimants say carried serious defamatory meanings.
The British Boxing Board of Control and Mr Smith duly took action. As a result, the parties have agreed a confidential settlement.
As part of that, today Mr Eubank Jr. has issued the following statement across his social media channels:
“In a press conference held on 17 September 2025 to publicise the forthcoming fight between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, I made statements about Mr Smith and the British Boxing Board of Control Limited (the “Board”), including that Mr Smith is in the back pockets of Matchroom and Eddie Hearn, had as a consequence tried to ruin my preparation for the fight with Mr Benn on 29 April 2025, and that Mr Smith and the Board have used fines imposed on me to line their own pockets. I accept that these statements are untrue and without any foundation. I accept that neither Mr Smith nor the Board are corrupt and I retract my statements in full. I have agreed a settlement of these matters on confidential terms. The parties now consider the matter resolved. I apologise for the harm caused to both Mr Smith and the Board.”
Tracey Singlehurst-Ward, Partner in our Dispute Resolution team, acted for the British Boxing Board of Control and Mr Smith in securing the settlement and apology.
She said:
“We’re proud of our work with the British Boxing Board and very pleased with the outcome of this case. This was a case where a governing body of sport was made the subject of comments described by Mr Eubank in his own statement today as ‘untrue and without any foundation’. Given the nature of the statements he made and the role of the governing body in preserving integrity in sport, the British Boxing Board of Control and its officer rightly took those very seriously.
“The BBBoC and its General Secretary play a vital role in regulating professional British boxing and ensuring safety and fairness. We are pleased that this matter has now been resolved and that our client’s reputation has been vindicated.”
Robert Smith, General Secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control said:
“We welcome the resolution of this matter and are delighted with the outcome.
“The Board’s role is to regulate professional boxing in Great Britain in the interests of the sport, its participants and the public. That responsibility depends upon the integrity and reputation of the organisation and those who serve it.
“We remain committed to ensuring the highest standards of governance, fairness and safety across professional boxing and will continue to carry out our regulatory responsibilities in the best interests of the sport.”
