Chris Eubank Jr has admitted he is upset by his father's fears over the weight cut for his upcoming fight with Conor Benn.
Eubank Jr is set to touch gloves with Benn at London's O2 arena on October 8 after agreeing a catchweight bout with his rival. The pair have been thrust into an intense feud over 30 years on from their fathers doing battle in two of the most iconic boxing clashes in British boxing history.
The pair have signed the fight at a 157lb catchweight which will represent a step-up of 10lb for Benn, while Eubank Jr will be forced to drop three pounds to his lowest weight since he was 18. Eubank S r expressed concerns over his son's health despite his agreement to make the weight cut, and is now unlikely to be in his corner for the fight.
However the former middleweight world champion has declared he must put his fathers concerns to the back of his mind as he prepares to take on one of the most high-profile challenges of his career. "It is hard for me to hear that but it is something that I have to block out of my mind," Eubank Jr told the Daily Star.
"The fight is going to happen, I’ve signed for it. I can’t have this going over in my head. I have to block that out of my mind. It’s upsetting and sad that he may have those thoughts going through his head, but that’s him. As a man I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to win and to be able to perform at my best mentally.
"Mentally you can’t worry about family, friends or what’s happened in the past. I’m using my brother as fuel, I’m doing this for him. I can’t pay that [his father’s comments] too much attention because, at the end of the day, the fight is going to happen. There is nothing that is going to stop the fight."
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Eubank Jr's father had claimed he would seek legal action to withdraw him from the fight, but the claims have been shut down by Eubank Jr and his promoter Kalle Sauerland who insist the show will go on. Mind games have continued to go on between the pair online with Eubank Jr teasing his rival by tucking into a dessert while his opposition continued to post videos of his intense training regime.
Benn believes the dispute with Eubank Sr was a miscommunication and believes his united team will see him power to victory on the night. He said during a Twitter Spaces: 'It's been blown out of proportion. It was an issue on their side, it's a miscommunication on their side. All I know is that I've got a strong united front my end, my team is reunited and we all have one mission and thats getting the victory."
