"Rehydration is the issue" - Dave Coldwell on the potential Conor Benn vs. Chris Eubank Jr. fight

Boxing trainer and Sky Sports analyst Dave Coldwell has spoken about why he believes the Conor Benn vs. Chris Eubank Jr. fight is yet to be announced. Eubank Jr. is signed with Ben Shalom and Sky Sports, who Coldwell works with.

Coldwell said in an interview with iFL TV:

“What I heard is that it is the rehydration clause, that is a big thing. The problem is, I know it's been done before, I think Canelo's done it, maybe Pacquiao or whatever other fighters have done it, but it's one thing when you are doing these catchweight fights. 156, that’s fu**ing- that’s a lot, people are like ‘It's not.’ It’s a lot when you are tight at a weight and then you have another pound to make to lose. You always say the last pound to lose is the hardest.”

Watch the full interview here:

The issue lies with the weight classes the boxers both fight at. Conor Benn fights at welterweight, which has a weight limit of 147lbs. Chris Eubank Jr. fights at middleweight, with a weight limit of 160lbs. In the past, Eubank has fought at 168lbs, super middleweight, and arguably had the most successful run of his career at that weight. At 168lbs, Eubank has what is probably the biggest win on his resume in terms of name value in James DeGale.

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Would the best Chris Eubank Jr. turn up against Conor Benn?

Dave Coldwell also questioned whether the best Chris Eubank Jr. would be fighting if he managed to make the catchweight.

Coldwell added:

“You know when a fighter is big at the weight and they’ve got to make weight, that last pound is always a killer, four? That is going to be tough. But then to have a rehydration clause as well, lets just say if Conor beats him, is that the best version?"

Fighters have often attributed losses to struggles making the weight post-fight. Dehydrating yourself and trying to lose pounds does not bode well for any fighter. Promoter Frank Warren even questioned the safety of the bout and pointed to Eubank Jr.'s age at 32.

Rarely do fighters weigh in at a career low at 32 or what would be his 35th professional bout.

Watch Chris Eubank Jr. call out Conor Benn:

As such, the version of Eubank that would turn up at 155lbs may be significantly different to a fully fit and healthy fighter. The benefit for Conor Benn in fighting a depleted fighter at a weight class unfamiliar to him is also a question.