Promoter Eddie Hearn jokingly says he should have asked for the weights to be adjusted to 157 pounds for the Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn rematch after seeing Eubank Jr. come in at 159.1 lbs at Friday’s weigh-in for their rematch this Saturday, November 15th, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
(Credit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
Official weights
- Chris Eubank Jr. 159.1 vs. Conor Benn 159.3
- Jack Catterall 146.7 vs. Ekow Essuman 146.5
Conor Already Looked Beaten
Hearn predicts that his fighter Benn (23-1, 14 KOs) will “be much better” in the rematch than he was in his first fight with Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KOs) earlier this year on April 26, 2025. Conor came up short in that fight, losing a 12-round unanimous decision by the scores 116-112, 116-112, and 116-112.
Hearn believes that Benn only needed to be a “little bit better” for him to have beaten Eubank Jr. What on Earth is Hearn blathering about? It looked to me like Benn needed to be significantly better for him to have won that fight, as he literally got the royal stuffing beaten out of him from rounds 7 through 12 by Eubank Jr.
Benn’s Body Isn’t Built for This
The performance the 5’8″ Benn turned in last time may be as good as it gets for him, as his game isn’t built for throwing a lot of shots at close range against a bigger fighter. He’s more of a potshot fighter, who wins his fights by knocking out his opponents with single shots after stunning them.
For Conor to change his style to become a high-volume combination puncher at his age and body style, it may be physically impossible. Benn is what he is. If he can’t hurt Eubank Jr. with one of his single power shots on Saturday, he’s going to be in for a long night of eating countless headshots.
Eubank’s 900-Punch Blueprint
Eubank Jr. landed 367 of 912 punches for a 40.2% connect rate. Throwing almost 1000 punches is an absurd number for a middleweight. If his output is similar to what he did last time, Benn could need saving by his trainer because he can’t soak up that kind of punishment again. He appeared close to being stopped on three occasions last April when Eubank Jr. was burying him with punches in the championship rounds.
“I don’t know how easy he made it. Maybe he made it very easy,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to Ring Magazine about Chris Eubank Jr. making weight today and coming in a pound under. “If you listen to the narrative, ‘Oh, it’s going to be such a struggle.’ He’s always going to be tight [drained looking].”
It was Benn who looked drained from making. He’s obviously been eating well and training hard since his last fight with Eubank Jr. We’ll see on Saturday if he’s affected by the strain of making weight. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if that’s the case.
Hearn’s 157 Joke Masks Panic
“He didn’t look like it was a particular struggle at 159,” said Hearn about Eubank. “Maybe we should have made the fight at 157. Is there still time?
“I feel like Conor Benn will be much better in his performance. He only needed to be a little bit better last time to get the win. If he’s a lot better, I think he wins,” said Hearn.
Trainer Might Need the White Towel Ready
If Benn isn’t a lot better on Saturday, he’ll lose, and it may not be pretty. It would be a good idea for his trainer to pull him out at some point when it’s clear that he’s not going to win. If Hearn wants to salvage Benn for money fights at 147 against the likes of Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia, yanking him early on Saturday night would be a good idea.
