Boxing Safety: Cuts, Weight Cutting & Mortality Risks Explained

Chris Eubank Jr. Required hospital treatment following his April victory over Conor Benn, suffering from severe dehydration that prevented him from urinating, according to a recent interview with Steven Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO podcast. The boxer described an unbearable headache, facial swelling and the necessity of a catheter to drain fluids.

Eubank Jr.’s condition stemmed from an extreme “cut” – the practice of rapidly losing weight to qualify for a specific boxing weight class – undertaken before the fight. The bout was contested at middleweight, and both fighters employed weight reduction strategies. Benn had moved up two weight classes to participate.

The practice of weight cutting is decades old in combat sports, including boxing and mixed martial arts, with athletes seeking a competitive advantage by competing at the lowest possible weight class, according to reporting from MMA Hive. Performance nutritionist Lee Rickards, who has worked in boxing for ten years, focuses on helping boxers make weight in the “healthiest” way possible, as reported by The New York Times.

The risks associated with drastic weight cuts are significant. Eubank Jr.’s experience illustrates the potential for severe dehydration, which can have lasting health consequences. The New York Times report details the brutal reality of the process, with fighters pushing their bodies to extreme limits.

Instances of boxers struggling to make weight are not uncommon. In 2018, David Lemieux failed to meet the contracted weight for his fight against Karim Achour, despite having recently recovered from shoulder rehabilitation, as reported by TheSportster. This highlights the difficulty some fighters face in consistently achieving their target weight.

Strategies for effective weight cutting emphasize nutrition, aiming to minimize power loss during the process, according to RDX Sports. However, the pursuit of a weight advantage often leads to dangerous and potentially life-threatening practices.

The fight between Eubank Jr. And Benn too required both fighters to undergo precautionary checks in hospital following the bout, indicating the physical toll of both the fight itself and the preceding weight cut.