Eubank defiant after £375,500 fine for being 0.05lb over weight

After receiving a £375, 000 fine for skipping weight for Saturday’s fight with rival Conor Benn, Chris Eubank Jr. lost a lonely and expressionless figure.

The 35-year-old’s weight for the grudge bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was just 0.05 lbs over the 11st 6 lbs middleweight limit.

Following a behind-closed-doors weigh-in earlier on Friday, the Britons met in Islington for a ceremonial weigh-in.

An unmoving Eubank remarked, “Weight has no bearing on what happens on Saturday.

A rehydration clause forbids both him and Benn from weighing more than 12 lbs on Saturday morning.

Chris Eubank Sr, who hasn’t attended the contest because of objections regarding the weight difference, was a notable but anticipated absentee from the weigh-in audience.

Eubank Jr. discussed the “pain” of this week’s absence from his father.

Benn, who has fought in welterweight for the majority of his career, weighed 11st 2lbs.

The 28-year-old flexed his muscles and roared to the audience as part of his entourage, which included his father Nigel.

Eubank and Benn will contest the WBC and WBO super middleweight titles in a fight that will take place 32 years after their fathers last competed in a 1990s fight.

Benn, who will receive the entire sum of Eubank’s fine, said, “He is disciplined and should have made the weight.”

Before he enters the ring, Eubank has already collected more than £500,000 in fines and payments from undercard fighters.

In the build-up, and particularly during fight week, Eubank’s weight has been a major talking point.

On his first attempt, he was 0.2% heavier than the 11st 6lb limit, and he was still too heavy the second time.

The rehydration clause, according to Benn’s team, provides a level playing field.

Fighters typically shed some body fat over the course of a training camp to reach a weight limit that has been set.

They may dehydrate before the weigh-in, which occurs one day before the fight night. They can refuel with food and water much more quickly by keeping their weight close to the battle.

According to Eubank, after a weigh-in, he typically puts on about 14 pounds.

Both men will take the scales on Saturday, according to matchroom promoter Hearn, who was on BBC Sport from around 08:00 BST. If Eubank falls short of the weight once more, there will be a fine.

The fighters hit the scales under the arched roof of Islington’s Business Design Centre, which was already open, which created a bit of an anti-climax.

A line of fans formed early in the evening for a fight that has won over the audience. From the Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr boxing fans who were enthralled by the family name to a younger generation who was captivated by the egg slap that went viral at a press conference in February.

The competitive element of this fight has little to do with Eubank’s missing weight, which is the weight of a single AA battery.

Benn coming in lighter than expected has helped to highlight this controversy and this fight already has a significant weight gap.

However, we must consider the effects this will have on Eubank.

How much of a toll has his gruesome cut taken on him? Will he have the same issues as I do on Saturday morning when I try to reach the 12st 1lb limit? He has the freedom to do whatever he pleases after that.