To the west, such were the scenes for Crystal Palace, Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr ensuring the Eagles were in Wembley dreamland plenty of minutes before the final whistle.

But elsewhere in north London, there was one result - nay, arguably three or four - that fans were made to wait on the edge of the seats for, all the way through to the closing bell.

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Chris Eubank Jr.'s blockbuster win over Conor Benn in their middleweight grudge match not only defied pre-bout expectations - it exceeded them beyond many wildest fantasies.

The former, still recovering from a brutal weight cut, had been the pre-betting favourite to turn his undefeated rival around as he vaulted up two divisions from welterweight to fight.

But the latter proved close to his equal across a freewheeling contest that lived up to Eddie Hearn's promise of a "wild shootout" to carry on the legacy of their fathers ringside.

DAZN

Chris Eubank Sr.'s shock appearance proved to be the second-biggest story of the night for many, but that would do a disservice to a bill that ultimately fulfilled its promise too.

For months, promoters have sought to sell all five bouts on this stacked supercard as too-close-to-call affairs - but even they could not have predicted all would go the distance.

Ultimately, only one fight - Aaron McKenna's coronation over former light-middleweight world champion Liam Smith - proved to be a particularly one-sided matchup in the ring.

Former WBO cruiserweight king Chris Billam-Smith was made to work by American Brandon Glanton for his victory in the opener, tested on his return after five months away.

Viddal Riley and Cheavon Clarke's domestic tussle in the same class offered a energetic, entertaining second course to the evening, with the former claiming the British title too.

The co-main event, a trilogy bout between Anthony Yarde and Lyndon Arthur, arguably was the least engaging clash of the night - but again, it proved a tight affair with the judges.

That all led up to the headline bout itself, a clash that may have not thrilled the technical purists in attendance, yet undoubtedly satisfied the primal urge of a pantomime crowd.

Every blow to the body encouraged a boo, every rock of the gloves drew a cheer - as a spectator event, there have been few such showcases greeted with red-meat hysteria.

Yet fears it could have left punters shortchanged proved unfounded. Fans may have only got five fights - but they were treated to 40 rounds, plenty of them top banana stuff too.

For a soft-launch event for The Ring as a promotional brand once more, its backers too will feel that their day in the son could not have gone better, ahead of more to come.

But as eyes turn to Times Square for the next Fatal Fury event - a three-card bill with no audience in attendance - it will be this occasion that lives long in the memory for many.

More Eubank Jr. vs Benn coverage

• Chris Eubank Jr. edges Conor Benn as modern British classic lives up to the hype
• Chris Eubank Jr reunites with father Chris Eubank Sr ahead of Conor Benn grudge match
• Anthony Yarde claims trilogy bout triumph over Lyndon Arthur in bruising encounter
• Aaron McKenna dominates Liam Smith to anoint credentials as middleweight future
• Viddal Riley outpoints Cheavon Clarke in slippery contest to claim British cruiserweight title
• Chris Billam-Smith gets two-time world title dream back on track with Brandon Glanton victory