Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3, 25 KO’s) has continued to create potential issues for himself after it was revealed by Conor Benn (23-0, 14 KO’s) that he had agreed to fighting in a smaller ring. The news comes but days before their upcoming April 26th bout, and further emphasizes Eubank Jr.’s continued willingness to bend to Benn’s whims as they head into their middleweight (160 lbs) bout.
The rehydration clause in Eubank’s fight contract prohibits from weighing more than 170 pounds the morning of the fight, though he will be free to rehydrate however much he wishes after. While this appears a reasonable demand to the average fighter, Eubank will be forced on a strict diet in the upcoming days which will not be to his advantage.
A consummate professional thus far, Eubank has been through the motions of cutting and maintaining weight before despite the difficulty of it, but will now be dealing with fighting in a 18 ft. ring. In professional boxing, those dimensions can make all the difference with smaller rings, usually set between 16-18 ft., favoring fighters who tend to fight up close such as Conor Benn.
“The only thing I asked for in my contract was a 18 ft. ring,” Benn revealed during an interview with Sky Sports.
“He ain’t going to be ready for what’s coming anyway. So what, you want to sit here and go, what are you coming here to steamroll him? Of course I am. I’m [not] coming in there to muck about.
“When I come in there, it’s not a matter of, ‘oh, let’s have a little move around and see this’. Come meet me in the middle then.”
Eubank, whose style often revolves around him fighting at mid-range, would not be too compromised fighting in a 18 ft. ring ― which does fall into the ideal range [18-20 ft.] for mid-range fighters ― but does seem too capitulating in allowing Benn advantages that do appear unwarranted given Benn’s history with PEDs, including Eubank’s own accusations regarding Benn and his use of PEDs.
On the other side of the argument, Benn would be moving up two weight classes from the welterweight (147 lbs) division ― though it should be noted Benn’s last two fights occurred at super welterweight (154 lbs) ― and faces risks himself needing to adapt to an entirely new weight while still looking to be as efficient. With Benn’s previous two bouts at 154 lbs ending in a decision, there is an argument to make for Benn himself being quite in danger as he faces a seasoned middleweight while having no experience at the weight category himself.
The risks posed by both fighters therefore draw questions as to the constant push to have this fight in the first place ― arguments shared by Eubank Jr.’s father, Chris Eubank Sr., who noted the health issues both fighters could face and the drive for profit that culminated in the upcoming bout being made.
On the entertainment scale, as opposed to a exhibition match, the April 26th headlining bout between Eubank and Benn does offer something exciting as two offspring of British boxing legends head into the ring against each other in a generational spin-back to the fights their fathers had.
Competitively, neither fighter are expected to gain much prestige in their respective decisions once the fight is over, though the attention surrounding the fight will not escape the sanctioning bodies and more pliable organizations such as the WBA and WBC could take the fight into account when it comes to the updating of their rankings.
