Chris Eubank Jr. was looking at a £375,000 fine. For one reason or another, he couldn’t make the weight for his eagerly awaited clash with Conor Benn – which is taking place on Saturday. The IBO middleweight champion’s official weigh-in was 72.597 kg (160.05 lb). He went over the limit of 72.57 kg (160 lb) by only 14 grams (0.5 ounces). This, too, is a highly unusual incident. The fighters had agreed to a rehydration clause which would see neither fighter allowed to add more than 4.54 kg (10 lb) to their weight from the Friday night weigh-in by a Saturday morning check.
At 35 years old, Eubank Jr. is considered a veteran with a strong record of 34-3-0, 25 KOs. Though he’s competed largely in the super-middleweight division for the last few years, he’s come back down to middleweight for this fight. To these children, this fight could not be more important. It will be a long-awaited clash after their last fight was called off in 2022 following Benn’s positive test for small traces of the fertility drug clomifene.
It’s been hard not to have noticed the noise Eubank Jr has made in his path. As for Hearn himself, he was handed a £100,000 ($133,000) sanction by the British Boxing Board of Control for allegedly hitting Benn with an egg during a press conference. Chris Eubank Sr to rip into his son’s pre-fight antics. He subsequently referred to the event as a “circus” and his son a “disgrace.”
In a recent news conference attended by both Eubank Jr. and his father, the boxer spoke candidly about the emotional toll stemming from his brother Sebastian’s death. He reflected on his complex relationship with his father, emphasizing that these experiences shape his understanding of pain.
“These things are what pain is to me,” – Chris Eubank Jr.
As tough as everything was with the weight cut and the rehydration clause, Eubank Jr. made it sound like it was all no big deal.
“The weight cut, the rehydration clause, these are all things that are not an issue, that are not important.” – Chris Eubank Jr.
Both fighters are scheduled to meet at a ceremonial weigh-in on Friday, which will elevate the tension around the event even more. Eubank Jr. knows how vital this matchup with Benn is, and he’s preparing accordingly. Fans and analysts alike are ready to see just how all the recent developments will influence the bout.
