Boxing author Tris Dixon: Sport no better than WWE if Chris Eubank Jr isn’t punished for egg slap, Gervonta Davis should rematch Lamont Roach and Oleksandr Usyk beats Mike Tyson but not Muhammad Ali

Speaking to SpaceportSweden, Boxing Life Stories host Tris Dixon says he’d be curious to see Tyson Fury fight Anthony Joshua but that it isn’t a top fight anymore.

Dixon, who has penned books including the biography of Floyd Mayweather, doesn’t believe Chris Eubank Jr and Nigel Benn deserve the platform they are getting for their upcoming fight.

He believes Eubank Jr has had a better career than Benn and fought better fighters, but the result depends on who is comfortable at the weight.

Dixon also explained why Sky Sports commentator Ian Darke was the funniest guest he’s had on his show.

Q. What should Gervonta Davis do next after his draw with Lamont Roach?

TD: “I want to see Gervonta Davis rematch Lamont Roach before he fights anyone else.”

Q. Should Chris Eubank Jr be punished for slapping Conor Benn with an egg?

TD: “I don’t think Conor should receive any punishment, the flashpoint was Chris Eubank Jr raising his left hand and putting the egg in Benn’s face forcefully. That’s not the done thing in boxing, it was a cheap shot.

“So there should be repercussions because if you have no penalties then what are we? The wild west or are we WWE? I think there needs to be rules and guidelines. It’s a dangerous thing. I know that people have been concerned that bits of egg may have broken off into Conor’s eye.

“I think Eubank Jr does deserve a punishment but also this is a sport where fighters have thrown tables at other fighters, numerous brawls and we’ve seen fighters bitten before. The bar is low but it doesn’t mean people should be able to do that sort of thing without repercussions.”

Q. What are you predicting for that fight and has the press conference changed that?

TD: “I agree with Eddie Hearn in the sense the mania will add to the fight. Eddie likened what might happen now to Nigel Benn’s fight with Iran Barkley where he just went and completely mauled him, and ultimately outfought and was too much for him.

“Barkley has always sworn that Nigel was a dirty fighter as a consequence of what happened in that one round. But I do think that Conor will go hard at Eubank Jr and I don’t think there will be much of a feeling-out process.

“I think ultimately someone will be going out on their shield. And I think in terms of who wins, it will be down to who suits the weight the best. Is Eubank Jr going to have to boil down too much, and is the hydration clause or the amount he can put on going to suit him?

“Or is Conor jumping up in too much weight to fight? I think the winner will be who is most comfortable at 170lbs on fight night. I don’t know who that’s going to be.

“I’m not remotely comfortable picking a winner because of the weight issue. We don’t know how depleted Eubank Jr will be and how affected Benn will be given his last two opponents, who were at best average, went the distance with him. So it’s hard to gauge. This is a unique match in unique circumstances. 

“That’s even before you factor in inactivity and their ages. I suppose you’d have to say Eubank Jr has had the better career so far, and has certainly fought better opponents. And with that in mind Eubank Jr is definitely the best fighter Benn has fought. 

“But I don’t think you can say the same for Eubank Jr, I think he’s fought better fighters than Benn.”

Q. Eddie Hearn warned the ‘game changed tonight’ after the footage went viral, what do you think he meant by that?

TD: “I don’t think this was specifically about boxing as a whole, I think it was about the fight, the build-up and what we can expect through the build-up. I don’t think it is strictly to do with the game as a whole changing, I think there are factors outside the sport stronger than a kick-off at a press conference.

“Frankly, while we’ve not seen an egg stunt before, we have seen things get out of hand many times. I think back to the 80s with Mark Keylor and Errol Christie.

“Then in the 90s with Herbie Hide vs Michael Bentt. Then you had Lewis and Tyson. So I don’t think the game has changed in that respect, he was just talking about how there will be no peace for either camp now. 

“It’s far more personal than it was before now Eubank Jr has put hands on Benn.”

Q. Are you seeing signs boxing is starting to echo WWE, where the out-of-ring antics are dwarfing the acting itself?

TD: “You could say there have been these signs forever. People talk about Muhammid Ali and Gorgeous George all those years ago. I think it’s perfectly relevant but also we are in a period now where influencers are trying their hand at boxing. People need to bring their own audience to sell tickets and PPVs.

“We know this stuff sells. We kind of wish it didn’t, but we know that it’s part and parcel of the sport. I don’t think this is a particularly new thing and I don’t think it marks a new advent of what will be expected.

“I do think if it happened all the time then things like this wouldn’t be blown up, and I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but I am saying if it happened all the time then people would just start to roll their eyes and think this is just par for the course.

“Things like this just show personally that this is not a fight that is aimed at the hardcore fans. There probably aren’t 70,000 hardcore boxing fans in the UK so this is a fight that reaches outside that market.

“When you look up their records, there’s no way they merit this platform, but you have to give them credit because there’s something between them they have harvested that clearly has made this a must-watch fight for hundreds of thousands, perhaps even millions.”

Q. Boxing and UFC are reportedly in talks over a league-style format in Saudi Arabia. Could this be a good idea?

TD: “We’ve heard about this league-style agreement with Saudi Arabia and it’s interesting. I think boxing does, and has always needed, one overarching governing body and I don’t think it will ever have that.

“If one thing starts, then something else will pop up as a competitor, and we will be no further forward. We’ve seen that with the UFC, we’ve seen that with Bellator, PFL, some of them have thrived so I don’t think anyone will be able to feasibly take over. 

“Plus what is a league? Is there a difference between a league format and governance for the sport? I think that’s interesting. If there’s a league format, how does that work? Is it going to be a select amount of people, and like the Premier League everyone fights each other twice and you see where you are at the end of the season?

“Or is it going to be an FA Cup-style thing, where the loser goes home? I’m not adverse to blue sky thinking in boxing, there are ways the sport can be updated and I’ve never claimed to have the answers, but there is the opportunity for something different to come along. I’m much more concerned with governance than I am a league.

“I would rather there be pension funds, retirement homes, retirement plans, round-the-world year-round drug testing. There are things we can do around safety for fighters. And enhance their lives after boxing before we start to look at the bells and whistles of a league.”

Q. Would you like to see Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua? What would your prediction be?

TD: “I’m a little torn on this. Not if Tyson Fury is happy in retirement. We had this opportunity where Joshua had the belts, and I think Fury had the only one he didn’t have, and that would have been the perfect time. 

“But boxing seems to be intent on doing this to itself and building these guys up and having these fights way too late when frankly the appetite is no longer what it was. You can’t knock the numbers that Mayweather vs Pacquiao did, but as a fight it was better five years.

“You might be able to say the same thing about Amir Khan and Kell Brook, as a fight it was certainly better years before but it still did amazing numbers. So the business just doesn’t make sense where the money is at its best when the fighters are not.

“I’d be curious to see Joshua vs Fury, but it’s not the top of the agenda fight that it was several years ago. That’s very frustrating when it would have done huge things for British boxing. It still would, but I don’t think it has the same gravitas it would have done, certainly if they were champions.”

Q. Who has been your favourite guest on Life Stories so far?

TD: “I remember being hugely entertained by Ian Darke, the commentator. I remember going to his house a little nervous because I have such respect for Ian, and just leaving in stitches to the point where I was aching from laughter.

“I went to Teddy Atlas’ house and sat down for a couple hours, that was great. Frank Bruno was very open, I’ve had a great relationship with Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe over the years, and they were both great guests. 

“I think one of the craziest ones, and the feedback I get the most from is Richard Towers the Sheffield heavyweight. That was mental, that was a wild ride. I don’t want to say it never got better but the first one with Adam Booth probably did the biggest numbers, that or possibly the George Groves one.

“There have not been many I haven’t enjoyed. Micky Ward has been so great to me throughout my career that I’m just really pleased we had an hours’ chat, getting on like mates. So it’s very hard to pick.

Q. Peak Usyk faces peak Mike Tyson, how does he fare?

TD: “I think if Usyk were to ride out the early storm against Mike Tyson, you’d have to give him a good chance and I think if you pick him against Muhammad Ali at all, then it’s hard to pick against him given he beat everyone apart from a few guys at the end.

“You can’t pick against Ali. But in answer to the question, Usyk would fit in with any time and would create his own set of problems for any heavyweight in history. We didn’t have a southpaw world champion until Michael Moore in the mid 90s, so there were not a tonne of good southpaws at heavyweight.

“So Usyk would have been a real handful for any of them I’m sure, he doesn’t have a conventional style you can prepare for, he is as tough as nails. He’s taken those big shots, and he packs enough power to get respect off the giants, so he deserves to be mentioned in that conversation and breath the others do.

“I think I would pick Usyk over Tyson, but I don’t think he’d beat Ali. But then, who does?”