Chris Eubank Jr reveals weight cut struggles ahead of Conor Benn showdown

Chris Eubank Jr has opened up on the challenges he is facing as he bids to make weight for next weekend's blockbuster all-British showdown against Conor Benn at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The two long-term rivals will finally look to settle their differences inside the ring after years of tension and social media insults.

Whilst Benn will be stepping up a couple of weight classes to fight at middleweight for the first time in his career, former super-middleweight star Eubank Jr will be cutting weight as well as having to abide by strict rehydration stipulations.

A clause in the contract means 'Next Gen' will have to make the 160lbs limit at next Friday's official weigh-in, and then tip the scales no heavier than 170lbs on fight night, which is around seven or eight pounds lighter than he would typically fight at.

The Brighton and Hove man looked drained when he was trying to make the 157lbs cut ahead of his cancelled bout with Benn two years ago, and has now shared details on the difficulties he is facing this time around.

"Every day is a graft. Every day is a grind, every day is a challenge to push yourself, to rest properly, to refuel, to rehydrate," he told Sky Sports this week.

"Everything is scheduled, it’s strict, it’s regimented. That’s what you have to do to prepare to go to war. The real weight cut doesn’t come until the week of the fight for most fighters. It is tough, I’m not going to lie.

"It’s not fun, it’s not a nice part of the sport having to boil yourself down to a certain weight.

Adding in the fact that I can now not rehydrate fully, I can’t eat and drink as much as I want after the weigh-in, adds another element of discomfort and hardship to what I’m going through.

"But this is what we sign up for, this is what we do as professional athletes.

"As elite-level fighters, you have to go through these trials, these tribulations, and I’ve been doing it my entire career so I have no doubt that the weight will be made."

Eubank Jr's father, Chris Eubank Sr, has long voiced his concerns over the fight, citing the 'unnaturalness' of two fighters with such vastly different natural weights sharing the ring.

In fact, Jr's relationship with him is believed to have broken down over his decision to agree terms for the fight, although that hasn't stopped the British boxing great from issuing one final plea for the bout to be cancelled.

"They're putting a fight on that is against the law of boxing," Eubank Sr, who beat Nigel Benn (father of Conor) in the first of their two fights in 1990 told the Mail.

"You have a person at 147, going on to Piers Morgan talking about the fact that he is going to go up to 160 and then come back down afterwards. Have you not read the rules? Has your promoter not shown you that there are rules to say you can't do that?

"Those rules are in place to keep you safe and keep my son safe from ending up from what Michael Watson is having to endure and has been enduring for the last 32, 33, 34 years (major brain injuries from boxing).

"I told my son three years ago, that fight does not happen,' Eubank Sr continued. "He is the wrong weight. I told him why it shouldn't happen and why it will not happen. I was correct last time and I will be correct this time."

Mark Mothershaw

• Matchroom
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