The dramatic build-up to Saturday's grudge bout between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn continued as Eubank made weight on Saturday morning.
Eubank failed to make weight on Friday and was slapped with a £375,500 fine for missing the middleweight limit by 0.05lb.
But the 34-year-old stayed under the 10lb rehydration limit at Saturday's rehydration weigh-in and is the favourite against Benn despite undergoing a severe cut.
Eubank and Benn finally meet after their original fight was cancelled after Benn failed drug tests in 2022.
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"It’s tough," Eubank said when speaking about the weight cut. "I’m not going to lie. It’s not fun, it’s not nice. It’s part of the sport having to boil yourself down to a certain weight.
"Adding in the fact I can’t even drink as much as I want after the weigh-in adds another element of discomfort [and] hardship to what I’m going through."
Benn's promoter Eddie Hearn was short on sympathy, telling Ring magazine: ""The easier part will be when he's a stone heavier than Conor Benn in the ring tomorrow night, that will be a big disadvantage for us. It's his championship weight, he's a middleweight and he's talking fighting for the middleweight championship of the world. He arrived an hour late and even then he was .1 over and still had time to do something, but he just hung around.
"I think actually he could have made the weight if he switched things up."
The effects of the brutal cut were evident on Friday and fans on social media were concerned about Eubank's appearance ahead of the blockbuster fight.
"Do you think Chris Eubank Jr looks drained?" asked one user on X, formerly Twitter.
"Rehydration clauses are a disgrace," posted another. "Boxing loves to put on big events only for one of the main event fighters to look like they’re half dead and not even be able to eat or drink as much as they want after weighing in. Clown show."
Respected boxing and MMA journalist Ariel Helwani isn't in favour of the rehydration clause, which rules that “neither boxer can be more than 10lbs over the middleweight limit when their weight is checked between 8 and 9 am on Saturday morning.”
"Jr. looks emaciated," Helwani posted on X. "That happens. That’s the sport, sadly. "HATE that there is a rehydration clause. That is not healthy."
Scottish light-welterweight Josh Taylor went further, posting: "I think it should be called off. Eubank looked terrible and he has a rehydration clause chucked in there on top of that as well. I think this is potentially a very disastrous night for boxing waiting to happen. I desperately hope this is not the case."
We can all agree with that.
Topics: Boxing, Eddie Hearn, Chris Eubank Jr
Chris Nee