Eubank Jr's Brutal Weight Cut Could Be His Downfall Against Benn, Warns Groves

By Lewis Barnett 22 April, 2025 7 mins read 80 Views

I watched Eubank Jr's face at that press conference yesterday and thought, "This man looks absolutely drained." Not just tired - hollow. Cutting weight at 35 is no joke - I've seen fighters literally crying in saunas trying to drop those last few pounds. And now George Groves is saying exactly what I've been thinking.

Groves, who beat Eubank Jr back in 2018 (in what was honestly one of the most entertaining fights I've seen in years), has raised some serious red flags about Junior's dangerous weight cut ahead of Saturday's showdown with Conor Benn at Tottenham's stadium.

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The Weight Game Is No Joke

Let's get this straight - Eubank Jr is having to boil his 5ft 11in frame down to 11st 6lb. At thirty-five years old. Seven years after he was comfortable fighting Groves at super-middleweight.

Meanwhile, Benn hasn't even touched his original welterweight limit of 10st 7lb since 2022 and has been cruising at 11st for his last two fights.

Chris Eubank Sr was practically begging someone to stop this fight when he told The Sun his son will have to melt and dehydrate a whopping 20lb to make the 160lb limit. Twenty pounds! That's like me trying to lose a small child from my body weight in a matter of weeks.

Benn, on teh other hand, gets to pack on 6lb of muscle. How is that fair?

When Your Brain Gets Thirsty...

Groves didn't mince his words. "People don't tend to get hurt when they move up in weight, it's when you are cutting weight and dehydrating that you are more likely to get hurt," he explained.

"If you are dehydrated in camp and sparring and getting caught, you get hurt."

God. That's the terrifying reality of boxing that casual fans don't see.

Dehydration means less fluid around your brain. Less protection. More danger.

Remember What Happened With Liam Smith?

I was ringside for that Smith fight back in January 2023. Nobody - and I mean NOBODY - expected to see Eubank's granite chin fail him like that. It was the first and only time he's been stopped in his career.

Groves points to something I hadn't connected before. Three months before that Smith loss, Eubank had been preparing to cut down to 157lb for the original Benn fight that got scrapped. The man looked like a walking skeleton at the weigh-in.

"When he went down to middleweight and lost to Liam Smith, I thought it was the weight cut that did him," Groves said.

Makes you wonder if teh damage was already done before he even stepped in with Smith.

Eggs, Lies, and Videotape

Listen. This build-up has been absolutely wild. Eubank Jr smashing an egg over Benn during a press conference? His own father looking mortified? You couldn't script this stuff.

It was a not-so-subtle dig at Benn's excuse for his 2022 positive doping test - claiming he ate "too many eggs" which somehow caused him to test positive for Clomifene (a women's fertility drug). Right.

Eubank also accused Benn of owing Eddie Hearn millions. The atmosphere between these two is toxic.

Who's Really Playing Chess Here?

Groves thinks Eubank is being more calculated than we realize.

"Chris has been prepared for every stage of this build-up," he told us. "Chris has brought his A-game. He might have moved his line in the sand to somewhere that his dad would not have gone to."

I spent an hour watching their interactions from the last press conference. Eubank looks eerily calm while Benn seems ready to explode at any moment.

Psychological warfare at its finest.

So Who Wins This Thing?

Despite all the weight-cut concerns, Groves is still backing Eubank Jr.

"What you see is what you get from Conor Benn, he is going to come out hard and fast, he is going to try to land something big early," he said. "Let's see if Eubank can get past those first three or four rounds. I still make Eubank the favourite."

I'm not so sure. Back in 2018 when I interviewed a nutritionist who worked with several top UK fighters, he told me that severe dehydration can reduce punch resistance by up to 40%. Forty percent! If Eubank Jr has truly had to drain himself as badly as his father suggests, those early rounds could be a disaster waiting to happen.

Saturday night can't come soon enough.

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How To

How to begin training for Professional Boxing

Starting your journey in professional boxing takes dedication and a strategically-minded approach. Begin by finding a reputable boxing gym with qualified trainers who have experience coaching professional fighters. Learn the basics such as footwork, stance and punching technique. It is important to start conditioning early. Incorporate cardio, strength-training, and flexibility exercises in your routine. Also, immerse your self in the sport and learn from the professionals by watching professional fights. Be diligent and consistent about practicing and maintaining your training regime.