Chris Eubank Jr. clearly struggled to cut weight during his April 26th fight against Conor Benn but appears to have no qualms to re-enter a fight at middleweight as the two are set to meet in the ring again. Expected to be held later this year, the upcoming bout between the two British fighters will force them to put it all on the line again, though there is significant uncertainty as to whether the fight should even occur again given the disadvantages only one fighter in Eubank seems to face.
The commercial and competitive success of the first fight between Chris Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KO’s) and Conor Benn (23-1, 14 KO’s) seems to be the main motivator for the fight to occur again. Based on The Ring’s press release, the UK will also once again stage the fight which is expected to be held on September 20th. Like the first bout, the upcoming fight will also take place at middleweight (160 lbs).
Unlike the first bout which was sponsored by The Ring, the second will be promoted by Riyadh Season which is [also] headed by Turki Alalshikh.
Inexplicably, the risks the upcoming match poses for Eubank’s health is a prominent issue that has remain unaddressed, with the fighter’s weight struggles having been harshly downplayed by Benn’s promoter, Matchroom chairman Eddie Hearn.
Following his April 26th win over Benn, Eubank was notably hospitalized due to what father Chris Eubank Sr. claimed to be dehydration ― a prevalent aftereffect of weight cutting. With Eubank set to participate in a meeting next month with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) over the illegal [according to the organization’s rules] use of a sauna for weight cutting, his weight issues couldn’t be more prevalent.
As it was revealed Chris Eubank Jr. had agreed to several disadvantages in his contract with The Ring ― including a rehydration clause, Eubank and his team seem uninterested in pursuing an actual world title; with the pursuit of monetary gains seeming to define the fighter’s current ambition and disregard of his own health.
Based on his past struggles, a move up to super middleweight (168 lbs) for Eubank would have been warranted; with a potential fight against the winner of Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford [who are set to fight on September 13th] providing an interesting challenge for Eubank to attempt to become undisputed. Potentially, this opportunity could still present itself for Eubank if he comes out on top against Benn again.
Conor Benn’s own career seems to be in a dubious place. Known as a welterweight for most of his career, Benn’s two fights prior to facing Eubank saw him compete at super welterweight (154 lbs). With just six added pounds to adjust to during his first fight with Eubank, Benn will head into the second fight better prepared and stands a better chance of coming out on top during the rematch.
However, whether Benn will settle at 147 lbs, 154 lbs or 160 lbs seems up to his own ambition to carve something out of his career. 147 lbs will undoubtedly be the easiest destination for Benn who previously had attempted to face Manny Pacquiao who himself will be fighting for the WBC 147-pound title against Mario Barrios next month.
Regardless of whether Benn wins or loses his upcoming contest against Eubank, his foray into the middleweight division is unlikely to affect his standing at welterweight where he’s currently ranked at #6 and #3 with the WBA and WBC respectively. As such, a future match for Conor Benn against the winner of Barrios-Pacquiao remains a distinct possibility.