Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr will be ‘fined £80k for EVERY pound’ over catchweight limit
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Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr will face huge repercussions if they weigh-in above the agreed 157lb limit ahead of their huge October 8 showdown.
Benn typically fights in the 147lb welterweight division, while the significantly bigger Eubank Jr has spent the majority of his career in the middleweight division at 160lb, having also fought at 168lb.
To even the playing field, the pair have agreed to fight at a catchweight – meaning they will fight above Benn’s preferred weight and below Eubank Jr’s – with the British rivals set to be fined a staggering £82,000 for every pound they come in above the limit.
Conor Benn (left) and Chris Eubank Jr (right) will be fined £82k for every pound they weigh-in above the agreed 157lb limit for their October showdown
The in-form British rivals will square off almost exactly 30 years after their fathers Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr went toe-to-toe in their iconic rematch, which ended as a draw.
Eubank Sr claimed a stoppage victory in their first encounter three years prior in 1990, in what then developed into one of the most bitter rivalries in British boxing history.
Benn and Eubank Jr will now revive the rivalry in a bout few foresaw, with both fighters striving for world title shots in their respective weight classes.
The fight will be high risk, high reward for both, particularly with the prospect of a hefty fine on the cards, with boxing reporter Dan Rafael stating the pair will be fined $100,000 (£82,000) of their purse for every pound weighed in above the 157lb limit.
Benn, speaking to BBC 5 live on Thursday morning, confirmed that, as well as their standard Friday weigh-in, they will also take to the scales on the day of the fight, ensuring neither fighter – more likely Eubank Jr – will gain a significant weight advantage overnight.
Benn is much improved in recent years but has campaigned in the 147lb welterweight division
Eubank Jr is a career middleweight (160lbs) but has fought up at super-middleweight (168lbs)
A similar clause was placed in the contract of the huge grudge match between Amir Khan (left) and Kell Brook (right) earlier this year
Rehydration clauses, placed into fight contracts to prevent such an occurrence, are a formality in the sport. A similar clause was placed in the fight contract for the domestic grudge match between Amir Khan and Kell Brook earlier this year, which the latter won via stoppage.
It’s not yet confirmed what the limit will be for the October 8 clash.
For Benn, it’s not only a jump in weight he’s facing, but quality, too. The 25-year-old, unbeaten in 21 fights, has developed significantly over the last two years but is yet to face anyone of Eubank Jr’s calibre.
‘The Destroyer’ assures he will resume his welterweight conquest after the fight, but insists an opportunity for a ‘legacy’ bout was one he couldn’t turn down.
‘This fight is for the legacy and was an opportunity I felt I couldn’t pass up,’ he said upon the bout’s announcement.
‘My team and I had other options on the table as I’m currently ranked top five with all governing bodies at welterweight and no doubt I’m looking for a world championship fight very soon, but this fight is embedded with so much history and I know it’s one the public really want to see.
‘To me this fight is personal – it’s more than titles and rankings, this is unfinished business between our families!’
The pair will follow in the footsteps of their famous fathers Chris Eubank Sr (L) and Nigel Benn (R) who fought twice in 1990 and 1993
Eubank Sr came out on top in the first fight, winning by TKO, before a split draw in the second
Eubank Jr, who has two defeats on his 34-fight record, has also drastically improved of late, having partnered with trainer Roy Jones Jr, and the 32-year-old believes the match-up will be the biggest fight of his career.
‘I grew up watching their legendary battles and always wanting to emulate that, and find my own arch nemesis… could this now be Conor Benn? We will find out,’ said Eubank Jr.
‘He has walked the same path as I have. I know his struggle. Living in the shadow of a legend and trying to break out of that shadow and make his own name. If he can beat me, his name will be made, and he will never walk in his father’s shadow again.
‘It’s a fight that’s going to spark the imagination of the British public, that’s what I’m happy about. In terms of anticipation, legacy and hype it’s the biggest fight of my career.’