Retired boxing professional and former world champion Chris Eubank Snr, the father of Chris Eubank Jnr (34-3, 25 KO’s), has doubled-down on his opinion of the upcoming April 26th fight between Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn (23-0, 14 KO’s) being a “circus”.
Participating in an fundraiser on Wednesday [April 16th] for those affected by neurological damage or impairments, as organized by the UK-based charity i-NEURO, Eubank Sr. helped former opponent Michael Watson walk a mile.
Watson and Eubank Sr. both have a shared past with the former ending up in a coma by the latter following their 1991 bout ― the second bout between the two former professionals. Despite having been told he would never walk again, Watson would prove otherwise and make a substantial recovery over the next couple decades ― epitomized by his participation in i-NEURO’s event which saw him walk a mile.
With multiple members of the media on the scene, Eubank Sr. was naturally approached to give his take on the upcoming April 26th bout between Chris Eubank Jr. and the son of former rival Nigel Benn, Conor Benn:
“[I will not be in Jnr’s corner] because I will not be an accomplice to their stupidity. Their circus,” Eubank Sr. explained to Seconds Out.
“What’s happening is against the rules. [A 147 lbser] fighting a [160 lbser] is against the rules. When Kell Brook was made to fight GGG [Gennady Golovkin], it’s against the rules. That boy [Brook] had his eye socket smashed. This is what happens.
“Promoters, to them it’s just a game. But to the warriors, it’s a way of life. And we have to actually call them what they are. They are trash. They’re trashing us. [But] we are not trash. We are the standard-bearers.“
Benn, who will be moving up from welterweight (147 lbs) to middleweight (160 lbs) to fight Eubank Jr., has no experience fighting above the super welterweight (154 lbs) limit in which he has fought in his past two fights, which Eubank Sr. believes is a hazardous move for Benn.
With the April 26th bout having garnered national attention in the UK due to their fathers’ legacies and seemingly genuine animosity towards each other, the event is set to culminate in money-spinning earnings for both fighters. The fight provides further incentive for Benn and Eubank Jr. as they are set to follow in their fathers’ footsteps and engage in a generational fight ― the first notable British bout between the offspring of notable British champions.
Despite the buzz and excitement surrounding the Eubank-Benn match, Eubank Sr. cautioned the public on the dangers that come with moving up or down weight classes fighters are unaccustomed to:
“If the rules are adhered by then we don’t have to talk about rehydration clauses, which actually kills fighters and puts them in the position that Michael Watson is in,” Eubank Sr. responded when being told that Eubank Jr. had to abide by a rehydration clause which was implemented by Matchroom for Conor Benn.
“If you’re not clever, and if you’re not noble, this vocation they call sport will kill you.“
While there are concerns regarding weight gain and weight cutting for both fighters, Eubank Sr. seemed mostly concerned with the wellbeing of Conor Benn whose situation he compared to Michael Watson’s who moved up to the super middleweight (168 lbs) division from 160 lbs in order to challenge Chris Eubank Sr. for the vacant WBO title.
The fight would have massive ramifications for Watson who, aside from spending 40 days in a coma, had to have six operations to remove a blood clot that had developed following his stoppage loss to Eubank.
Eubank Sr.’s concerns, rooted in both his personal experience with Watson and his contempt against what he considers to be greed by all parties involved to create a mismatched fight based on his legacy, his comparison to Watson’s incident to Benn’s move up to 160 pounds appears even more substantial given Benn will be moving up two weight classes.
Eubank Jr. is also facing relative danger having been barred from rehydrating past 170 lbs which is bound to cause some issues depending on his own maximum threshold when it comes to rehydrating, though it should be noted Eubank has competed at middleweight for many years and is likely well-versed in taking care of his body.
In retrospect, while there are plenty of consternations that can be made about the bout and its creation, which appears mostly centered around the profits the promoters and fighters can make, boxing is a sport often referred to as “prizefighting” and both fighters have knowingly and willingly signed on knowing the risks that were to be involved.
The act of fighters moving up and down for certain fights continues to be controversial however, harkening to the sport’s chaotic structure where fighters shy away from fighting in their natural weight class if the incentive is fitting enough. While there are health issues paired with these moves, it is a practice that has been common for al long time and does not necessarily result in career-ending injuries such as what Michael Watson experienced.
However, there should be accommodating structures that aid a boxer in these endeavors, whether mentally, physically or both, and aim to provide the safest way for fighters to move up and down weight categories without suffering long-term health issues.
With his stance, Chris Eubank Sr. has highlighted a fundamental practice in boxing that is underrated when it comes to providing fighters with the best health, but it is also not an extremely dangerous venture as many boxers have become multi-division champions, as exemplified through the likes of staunch professionals such as Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.
