Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn went head-to-head for a final face off at their ceremonial weigh-in after Eubank dramatically came in over the limit earlier on Friday.
Eubank was just over the middleweight limit at 160.05lbs, while Benn, who is coming up from welter for this fight, was well under at 156lbs 4oz.
Eubank and Benn headline at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a Ring Magazine event on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office. That weight miss has seen Eubank incur a hefty financial penalty.
Yet when Eubank appeared at the first public event of the week, he had a smile on his face as a cacophony of boos and cheers greeted him.
“It is what is. If they’ll take half a million off me for being half an ounce over, then that’s the people Eddie Hearn, Matchroom and Conor Benn are,” Eubank said.
“Weight has no relevance to what happens tomorrow night. I’m going to go in there and stop this guy.”
He locked eyes with Benn one final time and waited for his opponent to look away first.
Benn though could celebrate the psychological blow of Eubank just missing weight, and a financial windfall that stemmed from it.
“It’s an expensive price to pay but he’s disciplined and should have made the weight,” Benn declared.
“He’s expecting sympathy but won’t get any sympathy around here.
“I’m a 147 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.”
Eubank’s trials with the scales aren’t over yet either. The agreement for this fight involves a rehydration clause that prevents either man from being more than 10lbs over the limit on a fight-day weigh in, one that will take place between 8am and 9am on Saturday morning.
Coming in over 170lbs then would lead to another steep financial penalty.
“The rehydration clause is still in place,” Eubank confirmed, “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 the pain in store for him.”
Aiming to outdo the fathers
Eubank says he wants to outdo their fathers’ legendary fight when they box on Saturday. “This fight is going to be one of the best fights the British public has seen for at least the last decade,” he told Sky Sports News.
“My goal is to go out there and make sure it out-does what my father and Nigel Benn did 35 years ago, it’s how big this fight is.”
But he acknowledges another challenge is coming up in Saturday’s weight check.
“I can’t drink or eat too much or rehydrate as much as I usually would, otherwise another half a million comes off the table,” he said.
But he added: “The pain of making weight pales in comparison to the struggles I’ve been through in recent years and right now.
“And there were things that happened in camp that the public don’t know about, that nobody could have worked through.
“I never gave up, I never quit, we are here to do a job, to keep the dynasty and legacy going.
“Forget the money, the name, the eggs, the Eubank is what is close to my heart.”
Undercard on weight
The undercard fighters all made weight. After distasteful comments at the previous day’s press conference, Brandon Glanton (199.5lbs) issued an apology, while still threatening to knock out Chris Billam-Smith (199lbs).
“Chris is going to sleep,” the American insisted.
The former world champion was dismissive. “He’s learning and he’ll learn more on Saturday,” Billam-Smith said.
“He’s right about the knockout, but the only sleeping I’ll be doing is Saturday night when I’m back home.”
Viddal Riley (199.2lbs) meets British cruiserweight champion Cheavon Clarke (198.7lbs) in a dangerous fight, while another former world champion, Liverpool’s Liam Smith (160lbs) will have his form tested by the ambitious and unbeaten Aaron McKenna (159.7lbs) from Ireland.
Anthony Yarde (174.2lbs) and Lyndon Arthur (174.6lbs), who are 1-1 in their three-fight series so far, meet in a deciding fight.
“He said I looked scared,” Arthur said afterwards. “Do I look scared?
“I think I stop him.”
Chris Eubank vs Conor Benn will be live on Saturday April 26 on Sky Sports Box Office. Book now!
