As two of the biggest names in British boxing, a bout between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn has inevitably proven popular with fans and a gift for promoters.
Behind the bravado, though, is a curious catchweight limit that will see both fighters take to the ring at unfamiliar weights.
With Eubank Jr cutting down and Benn stepping up in weight, there are concerns that the contest is a potentially dangerous mismatch.
The Sporting News explains what the catchweight is and how much each fighter needs to shift in weight to satisfy the scales.
What is a catchweight?
A catchweight is a weight limit that is outside the usual weight divisions in a combat sport.
The most notable recent example was also between two British fighters, when Kell Brook came down in weight to knock out Amir Khan after both fighters had stuck to a 149 lb limit.
Brook and Khan had agreed to a £100,000 forfeit for each pound they weighed over the limit, and reports have suggested a similar clause, around the figure of £82,000 ($100,000) applies for Eubank Jr and Benn.
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What is the catchweight for Chris Eubank Jr vs. Conor Benn?
The fighters will be required to weigh no more than 157 lbs when they weigh in before the main event on October 8 at London’s O2 Arena.
There is also an unusually restrictive rehydration clause that means neither man can add more than five pounds more to their frame before fight night.
What weight is Chris Eubank Jr?
As the naturally larger fighter, Eubank Jr has competed at the middleweight limit of 160 lbs and the super-middleweight marker of 168 lbs.
A reliably fit and ripped athlete even when he is not preparing for fights, Eubank Jr has tended to look smaller than his opponents at the larger weight and does not balloon in size between fights.
“I have to lose three or four more pounds than I’ve ever lost before, which is a crazy thing to do at 32 years old – but I’m going to do it,” Eubank Jr told Matchroom.
“It’s going to be tough; it’s going to be taxing on my body, physically and mentally. I haven’t been that weight, probably, since I was about 18 years old, but it’s fair.
“He’s coming up, I’m coming down. There has to be a compromise. It’s another challenge that I’m excited to complete.”
What weight is Conor Benn?
Welterweight champion Benn is usually required to weigh in at a maximum of 147 lbs, and the fighter known as ‘The Destroyer’ appears to have been bulking in order to reach the new limit for this fight.
Critics of the lucrative clash are concerned that Benn will be blasted out by Eubank Jr’s power at a weight he has never fought at before.
Others worry that Eubank will be drained by the demands of dropping down, diminishing his performance accordingly.
Whatever the truth, neither fighter is willing to admit to any telling weakness. Eubank says he will overwhelm Benn at 60 percent of his usual capacity, while Benn claims he will hand his rival the first knockout defeat of his career.
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