Chris Eubank Sr caused a stir in the boxing world recently when he announced he would pull his son out of his fight with Conor Benn.
The reason for this was because of concerns over the catchweight related to the rehydration clause.
So what is the rehydration clause and why is Eubank Sr so worried about it?
The boxing rehydration clause
A boxing rehydration clause is put in place to set a limit on how much a boxer can put back on after the weigh-in.
This might sound a bit strange, but a boxer can actually lose pounds very quickly through sweating to make weight.
In theory, one or both of the fighters could make the weigh-in and then pile on the pounds to gain a huge advantage over his/her opponent.
So a rehydration clause stops one or both fighters from making themselves a lot heavier and potentially putting their opponent in danger.
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Why is Chris Eubank Sr so worried about the rehydration clause?
For the fight, Chris Eubank Jr is set to drop down to 157 pounds so that he can take on Benn and reignite the rivalry that started with their fathers all those years ago.
He has never fought at that weight and usually weighs in at around 160lbs.
However, the 32-year-old had been told he would only be allowed to put on five pounds between the weigh-in and fight night, so the maximum he could be is 162lbs.
This was a lot less than what he would usually weigh, which had worried his dad.
But it's not actually the clause that Chris Eubank Sr is concerned about, but it is the small amount of weight his son was going to be allowed to put back on.
Most modern fights have rehydration clauses and they are usually set at the 10-15lbs mark.
Five pounds is very little and could have gave Benn an unfair advantage in what is sure to be an aggressive encounter.
But Eddie Hearn has since revealed the actual number is around 10lbs, which should ease Eubank Sr's concerns.
Eubank Jr v Benn rehydration clause: What has been said?
Chris Eubank Sr to the Daily Mail before Hearn revealed the reydration limit: "My son's life cannot be put in danger… I've already lost one. It can't happen again.
"I gave my son his instructions and he chose to follow a different (path)… but he can't override his dad. Because his dad is speaking sense and who will back me up? The public.
"When they understand: I lost a son, Michael Watson happened, Gerald McClellan happened, Nick Blackwell happened, and the many warriors who have fallen or are disabled because of contests in the ring.
"You cannot come down in weight, especially against a fighter of the magnitude of Mr King, Conor Benn. This ain't no joke."
Eubank Jr has since admitted that he found his dad’s attempts to pull him out of his upcoming fight with Conor Benn ‘upsetting.’
“I can’t have any negative thoughts or worries from any other people affect my mindset and how I will proceed with this fight,” Eubank Jr told the Daily Star.
“He’s my father, he may be worried about me cutting the weight and all the rest of it but I can’t let that affect me and what I want to do. I have to believe in myself.
“I’m not saying he doesn’t believe in me or believe that I’m going to do it but he’s saying it’s a danger. He probably is right. It is a danger but I’m a dangerous man.”
He added: “It’s upsetting and sad that he may have those thoughts going through his head, but that’s him.
“As a man I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to win and to be able to perform at my best mentally."
But Eubank Sr has doubled down and called for people from the boxing world to boycott the fight.
Spencer Fearon revealed on his podcast a statement from the boxing legend: “This is what Eubank has said, this is Eubank’s statement, it’s a very simple statement.
“He said, ‘Dear Spencer, boycott the fight. You know what 3lbs beneath the middleweight limit at 33 years old can do, this is how brain injuries occur.'”
Famous reyhdration clauses in boxing
Canelo Alvarez
The Mexican might be one of the best fighters around but he has a reputation for insisting on rehydration clauses in most of his fights.
For example, in his fight with Daniel Jacobs in 2019, Jacobs weighed two pounds over the second weigh-in limit and had to pay $1million dollars as a penalty.
Canelo has won world titles at numerous weights, but this clause is something that has helped him.
And if heavy financial penalties are agreed upon and it keeps him safer in the ring and earns him some more money, why wouldn't he insist on them?
Amir Khan v Kell Brook
Before their fight earlier this year, Brook and Khan agreed extremely strict rehydration clauses.
The weight was set at 149lbs, but the catchweight was 163.5lbs, and for every pound over, each fighter would have been fined £100,000.
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This was so that neither man would have the advantage over the other because they both believed they were making sacrifices.
Let us hope we can add Eubank Jr v Benn to this list and the fight goes ahead because it has the potential to be one of the best in recent times.
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