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Chris Eubank Sr will be notably absent when his son Chris Eubank Jr faces Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.
The highly anticipated bout has been billed as a continuation of the family rivalry that began with their fathers' two fights in the 1990s.
Whilst Nigel Benn has supported his son throughout the build-up and will be present at the stadium, Eubank Sr is not expected to attend.
This mirrors the situation from two-and-a-half years ago when the fight was first scheduled, with Eubank Sr publicly voicing his disapproval at the time.
Chris Eubank Sr will be notably absent when his son Chris Eubank Jr faces Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night
PA
The elder Eubank has been absent from his son's corner since 2019, despite being front and centre for some of the biggest nights of Eubank Jr's career.
The father's absence highlights the strained relationship between the two boxing figures.
Eubank Sr has expressed serious concerns about the weight requirements for the fight.
Despite the limit being raised by three pounds from the originally planned 157lbs, he remains worried about his son's health.
"Junior is now 35 and trying to get down to 160lb and I know what that feels like," Eubank Sr said.
He added: "I know about the dehydration and the damage it does to fighters."
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Chris Eubank Jr and Chris Eubank Sr haven't been close for a number of years
PA
The father's fears are stark, having previously stated that people were "trying to murder my boy by boiling him down to 157lb."
His concerns have only slightly abated with the new weight limit.
"Trying to boil my son down to 157lb a few years ago, would have killed him," he stated emphatically.
These weight-related worries have kept Eubank Sr from participating in any of the fight's build-up.
The breakdown in the father-son relationship began when Eubank Jr decided to forge his own path in 2019.
"My old man was always next to me, and it got to a stage where I decided that I needed to walk my own path," Eubank Jr explained earlier this year.
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"He was not happy with that decision. That's the start of it."
The death of Eubank Jr's brother Sebastian in 2021, aged just 29, further strained their relationship.
Eubank Jr has been candid about their estrangement.
"We don't talk, he has shown no interest in my career for a long period of time now. He's shown no interest in me in a long period of time," he revealed in October.
He added: "As somebody who's lost a son, I think that's a pretty insane thing [for my dad] to be doing, an insane way to be acting to kind of not be speaking to your remaining kids."
Beyond the weight concerns, Eubank Sr has also criticised his son's behaviour.
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The criticism intensified after Eubank Jr slapped Benn with an egg at a press conference back in February, with the incident seeing the boxing star fined £100,000.
However, his father believes this punishment was insufficient.
"He must have his licence revoked," Eubank Sr demanded.
"You're smashing an egg against this guy's face I taught you that? I didn't teach you that. Who taught you that? Did Karen [Eubank Jr's mother] teach you that?
"That's disgraceful. I'm going to stand in your corner? You must be mad. I would never be in your corner. You're a disgrace."
These harsh words have further widened the rift between father and son.
Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will finally fight tonight
PA
Despite the harsh criticism, Eubank Jr has maintained hope that his father might have a change of heart.
He has expressed desire for his father to be by his side on Saturday night at Tottenham.
However, the boxer has also acknowledged the emotional toll of their estrangement.
At Thursday's press conference, Eubank Jr made a poignant admission about his feelings.
"My own father, a man I idolised for my entire life, and he doesn't speak to me," he revealed.
"We haven't spoken for years and he thinks I'm a disgrace. These things are what pain is to me."
