Here at Betfred Insights, we like to help provide answers to questions that can help you when placing a bet. One thing we’ve been asked about recently is what a rehydration clause is in boxing? Well, we are more than happy to help provide an answer to that question…
Fans of betting on boxing will want to know every little detail before placing a bet on a big fight. However, one small note that many overlook is what happens after the official weigh-in and whether fighters can pile the pounds back on before stepping into the ring – this is where a rehydration clause comes into play.
This part of a boxing contract has been around for an awfully long time but many are only just hearing about it.
Simply put, if there is a rehydration clause in place, then it means that fighters are only allowed to put on a certain number of pounds between stepping on the scales 24 hours or so before the fight, to give their official weight and the moment they step into the ring.
It is an obvious advantage if fighters who are naturally significantly bigger than the weight-class they have agreed to fight at, get the opportunity to pile on the calories, to get back towards what they perceive to be their more natural condition.
Big fighters have insisted on rehydration clauses in the past, with boxers such as Miguel Cotto, Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis, all known to have fought in bouts where such a clause existed.
The latter two famously fought one another at 136 lbs but had an agreement in place that they could not be above 146 lbs when they stepped into the ring. Many have speculated that this was a significant factor in the seventh-round stoppage of Garcia by Davis.
Last year before the proposed Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn fight was postponed due to the Destroyer failing a drugs test, Eubank’s father had expressed concern that a rehydration clause had been inserted into the contract, which dictated that neither fighter could gain more than five pounds between the official weigh-in and the time they stepped into the ring.
This is likely to have given Eubank Jr. a significant disadvantage as he would have been fighting at well below his natural weight, considering he was dropping down in class to take on the catchweight fight. It wasn’t the clauses’ existence per se that worried Eubank Sr. but more the five-pound limit, which is low, with more rehydration clauses being between ten to fifteen pounds.
So when you are preparing to put your money where your mouth is for big fights, remember to check out all the background information, including whether there is a rehydration clause in the contract. This is all the more important if one of the fighters is stepping down in weight or the fight is being held at a catch-weight.
We cover all the big fights here at Betfred Insights, so for the latest previews and odds, check out our Boxing Betting section for all the latest news and tips to help you on your way.
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