‘He knows what he’s signed up for’
Eddie Hearn has confirmed that there is ‘no doubt’ that Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will go head to head on October 8.
It’s been a busy week for promoters. Between a week of fighting between Canelo Álvarez and negotiations between Tyson Fury – Anthony Joshua, it is still busier by the day. news that Chris Eubank Sr wants to pull his son out of the war with Benn because cutting weight is dangerous.
Hearn sits down with Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel to clear up any confusion, emphasizing that the fight would continue despite the intervention of Eubank Sr.
“The contract is with Chris Eubank Jr. He has no intention of withdrawing from the war. I think it would cripple his credibility. I think he’ll have to retire if he does, but he doesn’t want to quit. He is getting a big payday. He is very confident about the fight.
You watched the quotes of Ronnie Davis last night, who said that his weight is very good. The British Boxing Control Board checked his weight. I wouldn’t be so enamored with the buckets of KFC and some of the desserts I saw today.”
Above weight reduction for Eubank Jrpromoters seem to think it is being made more necessary.
“Chris Eubank Jr is a professional. He knows what he signed up for. I think he hit 158 points before – it’s not a brutal, barbaric weight loss. The disadvantage here is for Conor Benn, not for Chris Eubank. Yes, he must have lost a few pounds or a pound and a half from before. Conor Benn has to put on 10 pounds more – and I know it won’t be too brutal in terms of weight reduction, but he’s fighting a much bigger man. “
When asked if he thinks the bigger man will hit 157lbs at the weigh-in, he was confident.
“I really do, yes. Because I think it’s embarrassing. The public will feel like he’s trying to gain an edge by not increasing the contractual weight. There are weights in the deal which means the fight can be canceled if it’s above a certain number. He wouldn’t want to pay the fine. He likes his money.”
The news that Eubank Sr, who shared the ring with Nigel Benn twice in the nineties, was unhappy with the fight led many to believe that the event would be extended. Hearn closed the topic by consolidating its status.
“There is no doubt in that war. October 8th. You’ll be witnessing one of the biggest battles the country has ever seen, because everyone talks about it. This is just another Eubank-Benn 3 storyline if that’s what you want to call it. “