Concerning footage of Chris Eubank Jr. struggling to make weight yesterday has prompted widespread questions about whether his scheduled bout with Conor Benn should proceed.
Marketed as a clash continuing their fathers` legacies, the fierce rivals are set to meet tonight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
However, their planned middleweight contest has been marred by controversy. Eubank, holding a record of 34-3 with 25 knockouts, now potentially faces the most significant challenge of his professional journey.
This challenge is perhaps less about his opponent, Benn, who naturally competes at welterweight, and more about Eubank`s own strenuous battle with the scales, which will severely test his famously composed mindset.
Despite successfully reaching the 160lb limit for his last four fights, the 35-year-old incurred a substantial £375,000 fine for missing weight by a mere 0.05lbs yesterday. This financial penalty is directed straight to Benn and follows a previous £100,000 fine Eubank received for throwing an egg at his opponent in February.
Yet, for a professional fighter, competing in peak condition – or as close to it as possible – is often considered far more critical than any financial cost.
Based on the visual evidence of his difficult weight-making process, it appears that, at this stage of his career, the middleweight limit might represent Eubank`s most formidable adversary.
Indeed, former undisputed super-lightweight king Josh Taylor, who has openly discussed his past struggles to make the 140lb limit, firmly believes that the matchup between Brightonian Eubank Jr. and Benn, who boasts a 23-0 record with 14 knockouts, carries significant risk.
Commenting on a visibly drained Eubank, Taylor wrote on X, “I think it should be called off. Eubank looked terrible [and] he has a rehydration clause chucked in there on top of that.”
Taylor added a stark warning: “I think this is potentially a very disastrous night for boxing waiting to happen. I desperately hope this is not the case.”
It is important to note that, despite these considerable concerns, Eubank successfully met the 170lb limit during the second-day weigh-in conducted earlier this morning.
