Chris Eubank Jr. exuded a quintessential confidence as he insisted he will play with Conor Benn in their October 8 clash, despite admitting the required weight-cut will significantly impair him on the night.
The British rivals, who clashed during Friday’s heated press conference, will go head-to-head at the O2 Arena in an enticing match-up, nearly 30 years after parents Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn did battle in their iconic rematch.
The pair have agreed to a catchweight of 157lbs – which includes a rehydration clause – with Benn climbing up from 147lbs and Eubank Jr coming down from 160lbs.
The agreed weight has become a significant topic of conversation following the announcement of the bout, with reports stating both fighters will be fined $100,000 (£82,000) for every pound they weigh-in above the limit.
Eubank Jr, who has campaigned as high as 168lbs, admitted the weight-cut will be painful, even insisting he will be at only 60 per cent of his best come fight night, but stressed there is no way he can lose.
‘I’m going to have to get to a weight I haven’t been since I was 18,’ Eubank Jr said on Friday. ‘It’s going to be tough; it’s going to be very painful.
‘Not being able to put on a certain weight after the weigh-in… the restrictions are fair, because you [Benn] are coming up.
‘I won’t be 100 per cent on the night, you will. I can’t be 100 per cent, but that’s fair because if I’m 100 per cent it’s a public execution. I have to be at a disadvantage to make this fight feasible.
‘I’ll be 60 per cent on the night and that will be enough to do whatever I want with you.’
Eubank Jr has shown significant improvements since partnering up with trainer Roy Jones Jr and has been pushing for a world title shot in the middleweight division, where he recently claimed an emphatic win over British rival Liam Williams.
Having also become one of the most high-profile faces of Sky Sports and BOXXER, the 32-year-old, though insisting he’s taking Benn lightly, admitted his career would be in jeopardy with a loss.
‘For him it’s a win-win,’ he said. ‘For me, if I lose to Conor Benn on October 8, I’m finished.
‘My goal is to fight for a world title in the next year. I can’t lose to Conor Benn and then fight for a middleweight world title. It can’t happen.
‘And if I win, I most likely won’t get the credit for it. All the pressure is actually on me in this fight. I’ve got a lot more to lose.’
–dailymail.co.uk
