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Topics: Boxing, Chris Eubank Jr, Conor Benn, David Haye, Boxing News
David Haye has made a controversial claim ahead of Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn.
Eubank, 35, and Benn, 28, will finally take centre stage at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night (April 26), in one of the most highly anticipated bouts of the year.
The elder of the pair weighed in 0.05 lbs above the 160lbs middleweight limit during Friday morning’s weigh-in, which cost him £375,000 of his purse.
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While Benn weighed in well under the weight limit at 156lbs 4oz.
However, the controversy surrounding weight did not stop there, as both fighters were required to weigh in again on the morning of the fight (April 26), with the stipulation of the contract stating that neither man could be over 10lbs above the limit.
Both fighters successfully tipped the scales under the 170lbs fight-day limit ahead of this evening’s clash.
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And several big names in the boxing community have given their predictions ahead of the all-British bout.
Former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew explained how one fighter ‘won’t lose a round’ when naming who his pick is.
Derek Chisora even had some inside information about Eubank’s sparring activities.
And Haye, 44, also weighed in with his take and made a controversial claim.
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When speaking on social media, Haye said: “Conor Benn is a welterweight If you wanted him to perform at his very best, he would be at welterweight … But is Conor Benn that Manny Pacquiao, that Floyd Mayweather Jr, you know, the Roberto Duran, those legends that are able to work their way through the weight divisions, irrespective of what their natural weight started off at? That’s unknown.
“He hasn’t done anything so far in his career. The win against Chris Algieri looked fantastic, he looked like he was on that type of pathway, but since then his last two fights at super-welterweight he hasn’t looked that great so it’s unknown. Everything with Conor Benn is unknown. Everything with Chris Eubank Jr, we know, we know where he’s at.”
The 44-year-old then went on to reveal how he watched two of Eubank's sparring sessions and gave some insider information.
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Haye added: “I’ve watched two of his sparring sessions. And he was putting himself in his own comfort zone. He was sparring with guys who were coming to really put the heat on him. And I liked what I saw from him. I liked the punch variety. I liked the close-in exchanges. He’s there for 10 rounds. He’s there for 12 rounds if it needs to be. I think this is a 10-rounder. But he’ll be there. and I think you will see the best version of Chris Eubank.”
The former WBA heavyweight world champion finished by giving his prediction, he explained: “I fancy Chris Eubank Jr to stop Conor Benn based on Conor Benn’s current form, his history. Looking at the fights, he had how he won those fights. I believe Chris Eubank Jr beats him. Stops him late. Unless Chris Eubank isn't able to deal with a version of Conor Benn that we haven seen before … He’s a big favourite because of the size, because of the history, because of his experience.”
At the time of writing this, fans can buy verified resale tickets to the event at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on StubHub from £38 and Viagogo from £71.
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If you’re planning to watch from home, DAZN is the exclusive streaming provider for the match. The event will kick off at 5pm BST on Saturday April 26. For a limited time only, the fight PPV price has plummeted from £21.99 down to £19.95. It's good news for new customers too, as you can watch the match as part of a seven-day no-commitment free trial here.