By Robert Segal: Chris Eubank Jr admits that he has a huge weight on his shoulders going up against Conor Benn in a 157-lb catchweight on October 8th on DAZN pay-per-view at the O2 Arena in London.
The rehydration clause could be a problem for Eubank Jr, who will need to limit his fluid intake after he weighs in.
It’s a fight that Eubank Jr (32-2, 23 KOs) can’t afford to lose because if he loses, he’s retiring, and he won’t be coming back, he says.
If Eubank Jr’s is serious about only putting 60% effort into preparation for the Benn (21-0, 14 KOs) puts him in a tough position where he could lose. Benn is too good of a fighter to be beaten by 60% Eubank Jr.
Eubank Jr, 33, has looked good in his last two fights, beating Liam Williams and Wanik Awdijan. Neither of those guys could punch like Conor Benn.
The last fighter that Eubank Jr has fought that had similar power as Benn was George Groves, and he lost to him by a 12 round unanimous decision in 2018.
“They know if they lose this fight, it’ll be very, very difficult to take,” said Eddie Hearn to Matchroom Boxing about the Chris Eubank Jr vs. Conor Benn fight.
“My son will put it on him,” said Nigel Benn.
“One of us is in for an extremely rude awakening. I don’t think it’s going to be me,” said Eubank Jr. “This is the most important fight of my career. I don’t need to separate myself from normal life in order to train right.
“A lot of fighters need to go to some remote place away from their family and their wives and kids because they’re not disciplined enough to work through the distractions. That’s how I see it.
“They’re not mentally tough to be around the comforts of home while they’re preparing for war. I can prepare for war on a beach. It doesn’t matter. Give me a ring and some gloves.
“My father is with me as a business adviser now. His advice was to wait another year. I wasn’t willing to risk that. We’ve both got a hell of a lot on the line. I have a lot more pressure and risk.
“I can’t lose this fight. If I lose, I retire. That’s a huge weight on my shoulders. I can’t come back from a loss. I’ve been through too much in this sport to let a young pup come up and take what’s mine, and what’s mine is victory.
“I can’t lose,” said Benn.
