Chris Eubank Jr’s promoter calls for controversial rehydration clause to be ‘banned from boxing’

Chris Eubank Jr’s promoter does not want a rehydration clause in place for his rematch with Conor Benn

Boxxer founder and CEO Ben Shalom (Getty Images)

Chris Eubank Jr’s promoter Ben Shalom believes rehydration clauses should be “banned from boxing” ahead of his fighter’s rematch with Conor Benn.

Eubank Jr and Benn are set to face each other for the second time on November 15, live on DAZN. Eubank Jr won their thrilling first fight in April, despite having a rehydration clause imposed on him that meant he could not put on more than 10lbs between the weigh-in and the morning of the fight.

Eubank Jr was hit with a £375,000 fine for missing the middleweight limit by half an ounce but avoided a further financial penalty at the check weigh-in the next day.

However, he struggled with severe dehydration after the fight and Shalom has revealed the rehydration clause remains a point of contention between the two teams after claiming Eubank Jr never wanted to agree to it in the first place.

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Eubank Jr accused Benn and Eddie Hearn of blocking his ambulance to hospital (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

“We aren’t happy with the rehydration clause,” Shalom told talkSPORT.

"Chris isn’t committed to that rehydration clause again as of yet, and the initial time it was put in front of us, it was an ultimatum. It was the fight’s not happening unless this [is agreed]. So Chris is in a difficult position then, everything had been agreed. Everything.

“We’d gone through the contract, we’d done every single clause, then we get to the last moment. It was, if I remember, maybe just before the press conference and then it landed on us as an ultimatum like that.

“In the end, Chris is a money man, and he accepted the challenge. Is it healthy? Is it right? Should it be banned from boxing? Absolutely.”

Terence Crawford jumped up two divisions to dethrone Canelo Alvarez last weekend as he became a five-weight world champion.

The American superstar did not call for a rehydration clause as he took on the naturally bigger Canelo, and Shalom feels Benn should follow Crawford’s lead.

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Shalom asked: “Did f****** Terence Crawford have a rehydration clause against Canelo? No, he didn’t, and it should not be used in this fight.”

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