Eubank defiant after £375,000 fine for being 0.05lb over weight
Chris Eubank Jr cut a lonely and expressionless figure after being fined £375,000 for missing weight for Saturday's fight with rival Conor Benn.
The 35-year-old weighed just 0.05lb over the 11st 6lb middleweight limit for the grudge bout at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
After a behind-closed-doors weigh-in earlier on Friday, the Britons came face-to-face in Islington at a ceremonial weigh-in.
"Weight has no relevance to what happens on Saturday," said an emotionless Eubank.
Both he and Benn are bound by a rehydration clause that prohibits them from weighing more than 12st 1lb on Saturday morning.
"These things are set up to displace me and get me off track. None of it will work," added Eubank.
A noticeable but expected absentee from the weigh-in audience was Chris Eubank Sr, who has refused to attend the contest due to objections about the weight disparity.
Eubank Jr spoke about the "pain" of not having his father by his side this week.
Benn – who has operated at welterweight for most of his career – weighed 11st 2lb.
The 28-year-old – joined by his entourage including father Nigel – flexed his muscles and roared to the crowd.
Eubank and Benn will fight 32 years after their fathers last met for the WBC and WBO super middleweight title during their rivalry in the 1990s.
"It's an expensive price to pay, but he is disciplined and should have made the weight," said Benn, who will receive the full sum of Eubank's fine.
Eubank has now racked up more than £500,000 in fines and payments to undercard fighters before he has stepped in the ring.
Asked about his latest fine, he said: "It is what it is. If they are going to take half a million off me for being 0.05 pounds off the limit, that's the people that [promoter] Eddie Hearn, Matchroom and Conor Benn are."
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Rehydration clause explained
Eubank's weight has been a major talking point in the build-up and particularly during fight week.
He weighed 0.2lb over the 11st 6lb limit on the first attempt and was still too heavy the second time.
Benn's team feel the rehydration clause allows for a more level playing field.
Fighters generally shed some fat over the period of their training camp to get close to the agreed or stipulated weight limit.
Before the weigh-in, which takes place a day before the fight night, they may dehydrate to lose the final bit of weight. Losing water weight close to the fight allows them to refuel with food and water much more easily.
Eubank says he usually puts on about 14lb after a weigh-in.
Matchroom promoter Hearn told BBC Sport both men will hit the scales at about 08:00 BST on Saturday. There will be a further fine if Eubank misses the weight again.
Before the weigh-in, Eubank said his two options were to either put on what he usually would and then cut 4lb early on Saturday, or remain within the 10lb window.
Analysis – incident shines a light on weight disparity
With the weights already out there, there was a bit of an anti-climax when the fighters hit the scales under the arched roof of Islington's Business Design Centre.
For a fight that has captured the public's attention, a queue of fans formed early in the evening. From the Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr boxing enthusiasts reeled in by the family name to a younger generation captivated by the egg slap that went viral at a news conference in February.
Eubank has missed the weight by the smallest of margins, the weight of a single AA battery, which makes little change to the competitive element of this fight.
This is a bout already with a significant weight disparity and this incident – and Benn coming in lighter than anticipated – has served to shine a brighter light on that.
But we have to wonder what physical and mental impact this will have on Eubank.
How much of a toll has that gruelling cut taken on his body? And will he have similar trouble in trying to make the 12st 1lb limit on Saturday morning? After that, he can do as he pleases.
The psychological edge and momentum is certainly with Benn.
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