British middleweight star Liam Smith has heard concerning rumours about Chris Eubank Jr‘s weight just days before he is due to take on Conor Benn.
Eubank Jr and Benn will finally go head-to-head in the ring – with the pair set to fight on Saturday night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in front of over 60,000 fans and millions watching worldwide. The blockbuster dust-up will have a limit of 160lbs – with a 10lb rehydration clause.
This limits how much weight the pair can put on between the weigh in and on the day of the fight. Benn – a natural welterweight – is stepping up two weight classes for the clash. ‘The Destroyer,’ therefore, looks set for a relatively smooth weight cut. However, Eubank Jr on the other hand, could be in for a gruelling 24 hours ahead of tomorrow’s weigh-ins.
According to Smith – who famously fought Eubank Jr twice – ‘Next Gen’ may be having a few issues with the cut ahead of the official weigh-ins. When asked how much a fight is won and lost on the scales, Smith told Seconds Out: “I don’t know, I do think Chris is getting a little bit tight at 160lbs.
Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn will face off on Saturday, April 26, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Fans can order the fight on DAZN PPV for £19.95, which also comes with a DAZN seven-day free trial.
“So, that’s why I bring Conor into the fight a little bit more than I did. But, yeah I don’t know. It depends how Chris does with the weight. You’re hearing all kinds of rumours like he’s got a lot of weight to shift and what have you, but I don’t know.” Smith was then quizzed further about what he was hearing. “Only around the circle,” the Brit replied. “But it could just be game play, it could be anything.”
Despite the concerns, Eubank Jr knows what’s on the line should he fail to make weight. The Brit revealed there’s a penalty in place should either man be too heavy. In an interview with the Guardian, the 35-year-old said: “I can change my mind at any time but it will cost me a substantial amount of money. I don’t want to lose $1m so I’m pretty sure I’m going to stick to it.”
He added: “They are paying me a separate fee to restrict my weight gain and rehydration. I was never going to do it for free.” Eubank Jr’s dad has publicly slammed the fight going ahead and is doing everything he can to persuade his son not to compete in the clash, insisting he’s having to ‘boil himself down’ in order to make the 160lb limit.
However, ‘Next Gen’ has rejected concerns about the weight cut. “I’ve been doing this for so many years and know my body. It can be horrific but it’s part of what fighters sign up for,” he said. “If we’re going to make all this money, you have to make sacrifices. One of those sacrifices is starving yourself, dehydrating yourself, pulling yourself down to an extremely uncomfortable weight.”
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