Chris Eubank Jr has dismissed the furore surrounding him marginally missing the weight for his grudge match with Conor Benn, who had no sympathy for his arch-rival as he pledged to “take his head clean off”.
Eubank Jr arrived an hour late and initially weighed in at 160.2 pounds at Friday morning’s behind-closed-doors weigh-in in London, narrowly missing the middleweight limit of 160 pounds.
He got down to 160.05 pounds on his second and last attempt, triggering an automatic hefty fine of $500,000 (£375,750) as per the strict stipulations in the fight contract.
Benn, who is jumping up two divisions from welterweight for the fight, had already tipped the scales at 156.4 pounds, almost four full pounds below the middleweight limit.
The weights were the same at the ceremonial weigh-in held at the Business Design Centre in Islington on Friday evening, with both fighters also set to weigh-in again separately at their respective hotels at 8am BST on Saturday morning.
Neither man can clock in at over 170 pounds during that final weight check on fight day as a result of a rehydration clause, with another huge fine the penalty if they do. However, they are free to rehydrate and add weight in the hours between that final weigh-in and the fight itself.
Benn quickly mocked his rival on social media after he missed weight, while Eubank Jr posted videos of his gruelling attempts to complete the cut along with the caption: “Pain is temporary… Glory is forever,” which also drew a withering response from his confident opponent.
Benn wrote: “Christopher who are you trying to fool and get sympathy from? I'm coming up to your weight, a weight you've made your last three fights and most of your career.
"It's like you're looking for excuses already? First time you've ever missed weight and first time you've ever posted a weight cut."
Eubank Jr addressed the issue after a final intense face-off with Benn at a largely drama-free ceremonial weigh-in, telling Sky Sports: “Listen, it is what is. If they are going to take half a million off me for being 0.5 pounds off the limit, then that's just what it is. That’s the people that Eddie Hearn, Matchroom and Conor Benn are.
“At the end of the day, weights have no relevance to what happens tomorrow night. I'm going to go out there and stop this guy.
“The rehydration clause is in play so I have to watch what I eat and drink, but all these things are set up to distract and displace and try to get me off track. None of it will work.
“He's in for a hell of a surprise. He has no idea of the pain that is in store for him.”
Once again echoing the words of his famous father, who will not be in his son’s corner on fight night, Eubank Jr added: “The procedure will be parliamentary.”
Benn once again cut a relaxed figure on Friday evening and admonished Eubank Jr for not making a weight he has fought at for much of a career in which he has also competed up at the super-middleweight limit of 168 pounds, insisting he did not feel sorry for him.
"It's an expensive price to pay isn’t it, but he's disciplined so he should have made the weight,” he said.
"He’s made this weight his whole career. He's expecting a little bit of sympathy, but he hasn’t got any sympathy around here.
"I'm a 147 [pound] fighter so I'll go in there and use my speed, my ferocity.
“I don't know if I'm supposed to look scared, intimidated. I'm neither. I'm just looking forward to Saturday. I'm here to take his head clean off.”
Benn’s thoughts were echoed by promoter Hearn, who said: “Chris is a great fighter, couldn't make middleweight, everybody needs a bit of discipline in their life. Conor is ready. The mojo has switched so much.
“Nobody has asked the question of Conor Benn coming up two weights. You will see him chop down a tree. I've never met a man who wants to win more than him. Benn inside four rounds.”
