Soap opera twists and fatherly love - but what next for Eubank and Benn?

When the camera panned to a grinning Chris Eubank Sr stepping out of a black car, you half expected the Eastenders duff-duffs to swiftly follow.

His arrival for his son's bout with Conor Benn on Saturday night was a scene worthy of any soap opera plot twist.

In a sport of fine margins, the reconciliation may just have given his son, Chris Eubank Jr - who said before the fight he had not spoken to his father for years - the edge over Conor Benn in a rivalry steeped in history and drama.

After 12 gruelling back-and-forth rounds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the usually composed Eubank fell to his knees when his name was read out as the winner.

Benn welled up, tears masked by a stone-faced expression as he battled the disappointment.

Anyone who has even loosely followed boxing these past two years will be acutely aware how badly both men wanted the win.

It all began with a clash of personalities and a bloodline feud inherited from their fathers' iconic duel in the 1990s.

The rivalry was blasted to heights higher than Katy Perry's recent brief space jaunt after Benn failed a drugs test, which led to the cancellation of their scheduled 2022 bout.

And it ended with both men, rather fittingly, in the arms of their legendary fathers.

As an emotional Benn took his defeat with humility, he also struck at what has been at the heart of a fight that captivated a nation.

"A relationship with your father is special, I'd pick a relationship with my dad over boxing any day," Benn said.

"If this fight brought Chris and his dad together then that's worth its weight in gold."

In the moment, it's all too easy to rave about the spectacle and exceeded expectations.

But is a rematch the best move for the fighters and British boxing?

Or after a two-year doping scandal, unnecessary egg slap and a criticised weight agreement, should we move on from this family feud?

An orchestrated fight with many conditions

Eubank Sr beat Nigel Benn in 1990 before a contentious draw three years later. But their sons were so far away in weight and experience that, on paper, they never should have shared a ring.

The smaller Benn had operated most of his career at welterweight, whereas former world-title challenger Eubank was a seasoned pro up at middleweight and super-middleweight.

Such was the demand for the match-up, though, a carefully constructed environment was created to make the fight make sense. This is not uncommon in the world of boxing, see Jake Paul v Mike Tyson for further reference.

A rehydration clause limited Eubank from adding more than 10lb on the morning of fight night.

Benn was approved to use firmer horsehair gloves instead of foam padding and an 18ft ring was used instead of the standard 20ft - both of which suited his explosive style.

Eubank was a fighter who, at the back end of his career, struggled to make the 11st 6lb weight limit.

The clip of him in a sweatsuit - in discomfort and pain - trying to shed whatever fat was left on his body was a sorry sight for the sport.

But promoter Hearn feels too much was made of Eubank's weight cut.

"He has made it the last five times but he just messed up, that's it," Hearn said at the post-fight news conference.

"Apart from his dad, no-one ever said 'do you think it's dangerous for Benn to be moving up two divisions and fighting someone the size of Eubank?'"

But regardless of whether you feel Benn or Eubank was at the bigger disadvantage, if so many conditions needed to be met to create a level playing field, should they have been fighting each other in the first place?

'Avenge loss or go to welterweight?' - what next for Benn

Eubank appeared affected by the weight cut during the fight and struggled to keep pace with Benn early on

Benn, who denies intentional doping and was cleared to fight by an anti-doping panel, may never win over the critics - those who feel there are still unanswered questions about the failed tests.

Yet some boxing fans - not necessarily the purists - can be forgiving, especially when you put it all on the line. Judging by the jeers turned into cheers, Benn left north London having converted a few haters into fans.

He came close to causing the upset. There is some merit to him saying he could have beaten Eubank had he been more active. Benn has missed out on key learning years and fights over the past two and half years.

So where does he go from here?

"If it was as close as people are saying it is, then that's what is painful because I wasn't outclassed or hurt in there," Ben said.

"Do I avenge the loss, or drop down [to welterweight] and win the WBC world title? If [Mario] Barrios is watching, I'd love that."

Is now the time for Eubank to pursue world title?

Eubank has gone some way in transforming his public image in the build-up.

His emotional vulnerability in opening up about his fractured relationship with his father and the death of his brother in 2021 has softened his 'bad guy' persona.

Eubank has also won over some of his peers, too. He took a hit from his own pocket to compensate those fighters who were supposed to feature on the undercard of his cancelled 2022 fight with Benn.

It was a shrewd PR move from Eubank but also highlighted the disparity between main eventers and those who are not earning life-changing money.

But for all his good deeds, Eubank had to perform on the night. It was tougher than expected, but he did enough.

He has been linked to a bout with Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in 2026. There will be an easier route to a world title, should he wish.

Whichever direction Eubank and Benn go in now, we must keep in mind how and why we got here.

Without the monocle-wearing, truck-driving Eubank Sr and British Army soldier turned Dark Destroyer Nigel Benn, there would be no 65,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

While Eubank Jr and Benn have carved out their own careers, they are also two fighters reaping the rich fruits of nepotism.