“That was not Chris Eubank Jr in the ring,” British boxer Chris Eubank Jr.‘s promoter Ben Shalom commented on his client’s rematch with Conor Benn. The two entered the ring first in April when Eubank waged war on his opponent in vogue and had his hand raised. The tables turned on him when they met again 7 months later. Now, we know what sabotaged the fight on that ill-fated occasion.

After the rematch, Ben Shalom mentioned that Eubank Jr was “a shell of himself” and unfit to fight. But the exact issue was never made public. A month following the rematch, Eubank Jr. is finally ready to pull the curtains on his long-standing health issues that took a toll on his body.

Chris Eubank Jr.’s gut-wrenching hospital footage

Sharing footage of him on the hospital bed, while the staff prepared for an endoscopy, Eubank Jr. shared a statement on X.

“I’ve been dealing with a lot of health issues over the last year & yeah it all finally caught up to me last month. I will not box again until I’m back to 100% & I don’t know when that will be, but one things for certain… For the fans that have supported me through thick & thin, I will do everything in my power to make sure that one day, the old me makes a big comeback,” he wrote.

Although Eubank Jr. hasn’t shared the exact details of his health condition, it could partly be due to dehydration and digestive issues, which are common during extreme weight-cutting that fighters undergo. When not fully recovered, it can put a fighter’s health on high alert, with serious dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, organ stress, and reduced brain protection. Rehydration clauses, including the 10-lb rehydration limit during his last bout with Benn, undoubtedly made the conditions worse.

Eubank Jr. has already shown signs of this threat earlier this year. After the first Benn bout in April, he was admitted to the hospital due to severe dehydration caused by an extreme weight cut, spending several days under medical care before he was finally stabilised. That incident at that time raised alarms, and Ben Shalom didn’t remain coy on the issue.

Ben Shalom raises questions on the British Boxing Board

After Eubank Jr. found himself in the hospital following the brutal weight-cut saga, people couldn’t help but question the seemingly ridiculous rehydration limit clause added in boxers’ contracts. When the Brit had to follow it up again after 7 months, his body couldn’t help but give up, leading to a bout that was a far cry from the last bout. Shalom raised questions about the life-threatening rehydration clause, warning about the health risk.

“A lot of people talk about the weight, and the rehydration clause in particular is something that shouldn’t exist in boxing. There are doctors who will tell you that. I think the Board should get across that now. I think it should be outlawed from British boxing completely, and one day that could go wrong, and there will be people to answer for it,” exclaimed Shalom.

When asked about Eubank Jr.’s commitment to returning to the ring, Shalom made it clear that the boxer would focus on a full recovery before stepping back in. “He’s okay, he’s recovering. He is obviously devastated but anyone can see that wasn’t Chris Eubank Jr. in the ring,” shared the fighter’s promoter. “He does [want to continue] but he has to be fit and healthy first.”

However, the recent update seems to have thrown a near-term comeback out of the picture. Plugged to saline and medical aid on the hospital bed, Chris Eubank Jr. is clearly facing a challenging battle with his health. Fans can only hope for a full and speedy recovery for the resilient ‘Next Gen’ star.