Chris Eubank Jr return dates and weight plans revealed

Ben Shalom provides update on Chris Eubank Jr's career: "I couldn't believe what he went through"

Eubank Jr. forced to flush out an undisclosed, ongoing illness, BOXXER promoter reveals, estimating that he could be back to businness this summer

Chris Eubank Jr (35-4, 25 KOs) is expected to return to the ring in the middle of the year back up at super-middleweight, where he has won an IBO world title, following treatment for an undisclosed illness, according to his BOXXER promoter Ben Shalom.

Concerns over Eubank Jr's health spread after his poor performance in a one-sided defeat to Conor Benn in their November 2025 rematch.

The Brighton boxer battled bravely in the first encounter back in April, slugging it out with the younger, fresher Benn, at a lower weight that he visibly struggled to boil down to, missing weight, but ultimately taking a dominant unanimous decision victory at 115-112 x3.

However, the 36-year-old  looked a shadow of himself when he stepped back into the ring seven months later for the rematch, where he was dropped twice in the final round and lost widely on all three scorecards, one judge giving Eubank just one single round from 12.

Many accused the rigid weight restrictions placed on the veteran in both contests as a significant factor for the subdued showing. Eubank was required to make the difficult 160lbs middleweight limit and forbidden to rehydrate over 10lbs on fight night.

In December, around three weeks after the rematch, Eubank Jr posted footage on social media showing him undergoing a medical procedure, under general anaesthetic, with a camera down his throat.

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

Details of Eubank’s condition has been scarce, but Shalom provided an update to BoxingScene this week, “I actually am going to see him this week, he's had a lot of stuff to do, medically, to really try and flush and get rid of what he's been dealing with,” Shalom revealed.

“So once that's done, he will be back, probably at 168. But there was an underlying issue that he had to get rid of and I think we all knew that, but hopefully looking forward to him being back in the middle of the year.”

That statement could allude to Chris getting back into training this summer and fighting thereafter, potentially in September, if all goes according to plan; or it could actually mean that a June/July fight date is being eyed.

While the nature of the illness remains unclear - TalkSport suggested the issues were related to digestive problems - a move back up to 168lbs would take him away from the brutal weight cuts he endured for the Benn fights, in a division where he enjoyed the most successful spell of his career between 2017 and 2019, before dropping back down to middleweight.

Asked whether the weight restrictions placed on Eubank could have added to his health issues, Shalom acknowledged the risks involved in such clauses, and questioned whether they should be allowed at all.

“Actually no, could it have been exacerbated by it? Possibly,” replied Shalom. “Are the rehydration clauses, should they be banned by the board? Yeah, but we're all, the promoters and the fighters are always going to do anything in their advantage. Every advantage you can take in the fight, you're going to take. So when you offer fighters loads of money to do stupid things, that's what they do, that's unfortunately it.

“Most people wouldn't get in a ring for money, so they're going to offer, they'll accept anything, and that's where it takes the regulator to say, ‘That's not allowed.’ It shouldn't be allowed. I regret seeing it, but ultimately the fighters have that choice over their own body and there's only so much you can do. It won't happen again, but I wouldn't want to see it again in boxing, to be honest. I think it's really dangerous and will lead to something pretty bad.”

Shalom continued, “It has to be resolved in some sense otherwise you couldn't allow him to get in the ring again,” said Shalom. “So that's why he's taking the time out. There wasn't enough time between April and what ended up November, but initially September, to sort out the issue. It was something that needed, required proper medical attention, and he didn't get that but now he's getting that. It gets beyond that, he lives the life and then he could come back in a healthy and safe way, but until that's completely resolved then he won't be getting in the ring. But from the procedures, everything that he's had so far, it's looking like he'll make a full recovery.”

Eubank's health issues remain a mystery, but BOXXER's Ben believes that Eubank may broadcast the details in time, “I think he will in his own time, I think he will, but he didn't want to make excuses on the night,” Shalom said. “He wasn't happy with me intimating what might have happened because he doesn't want to make excuses, that's just who he is. But I couldn't believe what he went through, I really couldn't. It was mad but even the first fight he wasn't 100 per cent. So seeing him go and do that, I think doing that twice in a year with what he was dealing with was just too much for his body.”