Harlem Eubank believes that experience has played a role in another gruelling weight cut for his cousin, Chris Eubank Jr.
The middleweight contender attempted to make weight ahead of his first encounter with Conor Benn, only to find that he was just 0.05 pounds above the 160lbs limit.
As a result, he was fined a sum of £375,000 before they even locked horns at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, back in April.
Eubank did, however, keep below his 170lbs rehydration cap on the day of their showdown, but ultimately paid the price as he was later taken to hospital with severe dehydration.
The Brighton man delivered a titanic effort to push through the pain barrier and outpoint Benn, the naturally smaller man, by a margin of 116-112 on all three judges’ scorecards.
Slightly harder, it seems, was his attempt to push through the barrier at the football stadium and, in turn, receive medical attention at the Royal London Hospital.
Eubank has estimated that it took around 20 minutes for him to leave the stadium in an ambulance, before spending the next two days on a hospital bed.
During that time, cousin Harlem, who will return to action against welterweight contender Josh Wagner on November 21, was concerned.
At the same time, though, Harlem has told Boxing News that, as he heads into his rematch with Benn at the same venue later today, Eubank Jr will do so with a far greater degree of familiarity.
“I was very concerned [while Eubank Jr was in hospital]. I knew how dehydrated he was.
“As a family member, to watch him go through that was difficult. I was just praying that he would come out the other side, healthy. And, thankfully, he did.
“This time around, he faces the same rehydration clause but, hopefully, he’s gained enough experience to manage it slightly differently – to not suffer as much.”
Regarding the ambulance incident, Harlem, like the rest of us, remains unsure of who to blame.
Instead, he can only hope that, should Eubank find himself in a similar situation this evening, those responsible for ensuring his safety will do so with a greater sense of urgency.
“It is alarming, but I don’t know who the responsibility falls on. I don’t think it was purposefully done, but it’s alarming that the ambulance wasn’t allowed to leave as soon as possible.
“I guess Chris is drawing attention to it so that, if he is to be in the same position, there should be no delays with the ambulance getting to the hospital.
“Hopefully, whoever’s responsible for making that happen will be more diligent this time.”
Eubank and Benn both made weight on the Friday and met the rehydration clause this morning.
