Carl Froch has criticised the contractual terms of Chris Eubank Jr.’s fight with Conor Benn tonight.
The contest was signed at the middleweight limit of 160lbs – two classes above Benn’s natural weight and where Eubank has been competing since 2019, though he has done some of his best work up at 168. Also included in the contract was a rehydration clause of 10lbs for the morning of the fight.
The bigger man made no secret of his struggle to cut weight, and many fans were concerned by the footage whilst others said it was standard.
Speaking on Froch on Fighting, the Hall of Fame world champion expressed his concern.
“Now, Conor Benn makes the weight at 156 pounds … Chris Eubank Jr has just missed it … Now, it’s not the fact that he’s missed the weight, it’s what I’ve seen since, how he’s tried to make the weight, that I’ve been concerned about.
“He’s been lying in space suits and sleeping bags, drawing every last ounce of fluid out of his body. He would’ve been dieting and training and sweating to get down to 160.2 pounds and then he’s a couple of ounces heavy. The fact that he’s already done his bollocks on the and he’s still not made the weight … The problem with dehydrating the body is it’s not just the fluid from around your muscles, it’s the fluid that sits around the brain.
Froch then addressed the rehydration clause.
“Now, he’s being unable to rehydrate sufficiently … He was 169.4 this morning, but my concern there is what did he do to get up to that? Has he been back out on a run? Has he been sweating this morning. Because yesterday he would’ve replenished hisself, but then this morning if he woke up and he’s 13, 14 pounds over, he’s not going to want to be fined again.
“We know getting in the ring he will be depleted, like he was against Liam Smith … He’s not the full version of Chris Eubank Jr … Some people are saying he’ll be at his best here cause he’s bigger than Benn. That’s not the case here, because he’ll be dehydrated. He’ll feel dead at the weight after rounds five or six because he’ll be knackered … You’ve got people like Eddie Hearn saying he’s gonna have a stone advantage. There’s no advantage of being a stone heavier [like this,] trust me.”
Finally, he criticised promoters Eddie Hearn, in Benn’s corner, and Ben Shalom, in Eubank’s.
“The 10 pound rehydration clause, for me, is sinister … Whatever he’s getting paid it’s not worth it. His punch resistance will be down … I don’t want to say this fight shouldn’t be happening because we want to see it and we’ve had fights at catchweight before.
“But it’s evident Conor Benn’s gonna get in the ring full of energy, giving a bit of weight away, in against a man who’s going to be a shadow of himself. Depleted. So Conor’s not beating the best version of Chris … The only winners in this fight are the promoters … I think it’s wrong, it’s out of order and it’s dangerous.
“The promoters don’t care, do they? Ben Shalom isn’t getting punched in the head, Eddie Hearn ain’t taking any weight off, he’s not getting filled in, he’s just thinking about the money … My concern is the fighter’s safety.”
The fight takes place in a matter of hours at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London.
