Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn are set to face off in a middleweight bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The fight has stirred up controversy due to weight and rehydration clauses in the contract.
Hall of Fame world champion Carl Froch shared his thoughts on the upcoming match in a recent YouTube video. Froch expressed serious concerns about the fighters' safety, particularly Eubank Jr's.
The contractual terms set a weight limit of 160lbs with a 10lbs rehydration limit on fight morning. At the weigh-in, Benn came in at 156.4lbs while Eubank Jr missed the mark by a small margin. On fight morning, Benn rehydrated to 165lbs, but Eubank Jr hit 169.4lbs.
Froch explained that Eubank Jr had gone to extreme measures to make weight:
"The 10 pound rehydration clause, for me, is sinister … Whatever he's getting paid it's not worth it. His punch resistance will be down … I don't want to say this fight shouldn't be happening because we want to see it and we've had fights at catchweight before."
Eubank Jr's methods included lying in space suits, using sleeping bags, and drawing fluid from his body. These tactics raised alarms about dehydration affecting brain fluid and his ability to rehydrate properly.
Froch predicted that Eubank Jr will struggle in the fight:
"But it's evident Conor Benn's gonna get in the ring full of energy, giving a bit of weight away, in against a man who's going to be a shadow of himself. Depleted. So Conor's not beating the best version of Chris … The only winners in this fight are the promoters … I think it's wrong, it's out of order and it's dangerous."
The former champion didn't hold back in his criticism of the promoters, Eddie Hearn and Ben Shalom:
"The promoters don't care, do they? Ben Shalom isn't getting punched in the head, Eddie Hearn ain't taking any weight off, he's not getting filled in, he's just thinking about the money … My concern is the fighter's safety."
Froch believes Benn will enter the ring full of energy against a depleted opponent, giving him a significant advantage. The fight is just hours away, and fans will soon see how these weight issues play out in the ring.
