Eddie Hearn has come out confirming that there are ‘no doubts’ that Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will face off on October 8.
It’s been a busy week for the promoter. Amidst a Canelo Álvarez fight week and Tyson Fury – Anthony Joshua negotiations, it was made busier still by the news that Chris Eubank Sr wanted to pull his son out of the fight with Benn because the weight cut was dangerous.
Hearn sat down with Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel to clear up any confusion, insisting that the fight was to go ahead regardless of Eubank Sr’s attempted intervention.
“The contract is with Chris Eubank Jr. He has no intention of pulling out of the fight. I think it would cripple his credibility. I think he would have to retire if he did, but he doesn’t want to pull out. He’s getting a massive pay day. He’s very confident about the fight.
You saw the quotes from Ronnie Davis last night who said his weight is good. The British Boxing Board of Control have been checking his weight. I wouldn’t be too fazed by the KFC buckets and some dessert I saw today.”
On the weight cut for Eubank Jr, the promoter seems to think more of it is being made necessary.
“Chris Eubank Jr is a professional. He knows what he signed up for. I think he’s made 158 point something before – it’s not a brutal, brutal weight cut. The disadvantage here is for Conor Benn, not for Chris Eubank. Yeah he’s got to come down a couple of pounds or a pound and a half lower than he’s ever been. Conor Benn’s got to move up ten pounds – and I know that’s not going to be brutal in terms of the weight cut, but he’s fighting a much bigger man.”
When asked whether he thinks the bigger man will make the 157lbs catchweight at the weigh-in, he was confident.
“I do actually, yeah. Because I think it’s embarrassing. The public will feel like he’s trying to gain an edge by not making the contractual weight. There are weights within the agreement that mean the fight can be cancelled if it’s above a certain number. He won’t want to pay a fine. He likes his money.”
The news that Eubank Sr, who shared the ring with Nigel Benn twice back in the nineties, wasn’t happy with the fight led many to believe the event was to be pulled. Hearn closed the topic by reinforcing its status.
“No doubts in that fight. October 8. You’re going to see one of the biggest fights the country has ever witnessed, because everybody’s talking about it. This is just another plot twist to Eubank-Benn 3 if that’s what you want to call it.”