Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn are set to face off in a major middleweight boxing match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26 2025, but a weigh-in controversy has heightened tensions. On April 25 2025, Eubank Jr. missed the 160-pound weight limit by a mere 0.05 pounds, leading to a $500,000 fine payable to Benn. Eubank Jr. claimed the scales were closed early, preventing him from shedding the tiny excess, while Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn blamed Eubank Jr.’s promoter Ben Shalom and his team for poor weight management. The dispute has added fire to a rivalry rooted in their fathers’ iconic 1990s boxing battles.
Eubank Jr. expressed his frustration over the incident.
“It stings that I was 0.05 pounds away from the limit. Now I’m going to be having to pay $500,000 to somebody. But these are the people you’re dealing with. They closed the scales off early, and now Eddie Hearn and Matchroom and Conor Benn are trying to take a large sum of money off of me for being 0.05 pounds over. I asked to go and urinate, they said no. These are all tactics people use to try and get under your skin, to try and derail you from the task at hand, which is to go out there and win,” he said.
Chris Eubank Jr has accused Conor Benn and his team of “derailing” his weight cut, which led to him being fined £375,000.#EubankBenn pic.twitter.com/XZ70FxGeIp
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 25, 2025
Hearn, however, pointed to Eubank Jr.’s team as the problem.
“I don’t feel like the people [Eubank Jr.] had around him at the time were actually telling him to do the right things. I could have got him to make weight. From the moment he turned up, I could’ve got him to make weight. Very easily. But they f**ked around and they wasted time and then they left it too late. Then they took half-an-ounce off, it was pretty easy to do,” Hearn told Seconds Out.
Weigh-In Drama Fuels Rivalry
The weigh-in issue started when Eubank Jr., the IBO middleweight champion, arrived an hour late for the private session and initially weighed 160.2 pounds. After stripping down, his second attempt was 160.05 pounds, or 0.8 ounces over the limit, triggering the $500,000 fine as per the fight contract.
Benn, a welterweight moving up from 147 pounds, made weight easily at 156.4 pounds.
A second weigh-in was on April 26 2025, ensured both met the 170-pound rehydration cap, with Eubank Jr. at 169.4 pounds and Benn at 165 pounds. These weights confirm both fighters are cleared to compete.
Chris Eubank Jr & Conor Benn have both made weight at the fight day rehydration clause weigh-in 🔥⚖️#EubankBenn | April 26 | Live on Sky Sports Box Office 📲 Watch here: https://t.co/iuNb00Coa8 pic.twitter.com/zZwBc3jLhW
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) April 26, 2025
Eubank Jr., 35, has a 34-3 record with 25 knockouts, including recent victories over Liam Smith in September 2023 and Kamil Szeremeta in October 2024.
Benn, 28, is undefeated at 23-0 with 14 knockouts but has fought only twice since 2022 due to a doping issue that postponed this bout from October 2022. His recent wins were unanimous decisions over Rodolfo Orozco in September 2023 and Peter Dobson in February 2024.
The fight carries the weight of history, echoing the 1990s clashes between Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn. Past incidents, like Eubank Jr.’s $133,203.50 fine for hitting Benn with an egg at a press event, have fueled bad blood.
As Eubank Jr. and Benn prepare to fight, the weigh-in controversy adds extra intensity. Will Eubank Jr.’s power overcome the fine’s impact, or will Benn use his speed to upset the favorite? This bout is set to be a defining moment in their rivalry.
