That condition reframes what happened at Madison Square Garden.
Benn was invited into the ring immediately after Stevenson’s win over Teofimo Lopez. The two stood face to face and exchanged comments. During the face to face, Stevenson told Benn to sign the contract. Benn responded, and the exchange ran for several moments before the broadcast cut away. However, the weight terms were not discussed during that brief meeting inside the ring.
Afterward, Benn made clear he would not accept a rehydration limit. When asked directly about agreeing to such a clause, he declined. Stevenson later addressed that response and said the fight likely does not happen without the restriction.
The clause itself is not incidental. Benn’s use of a rehydration limit against Eubank became a central issue around those fights, shaping preparation and drawing criticism before and after the final bell. Applying the same rule here would affect how the bout is made.
From Stevenson’s side, the position is tied to his current status. He has just moved up to 140 pounds. Benn is operating at welterweight and has fought above that limit. Stevenson has said he is willing to take the fight only with conditions in place.
From Benn’s side, the refusal fits his stated direction. He has returned to 147 and is pursuing title opportunities in that division. He has not agreed to the restriction.
Benn’s ring appearance established interest in the fight. The rehydration clause introduced a point of disagreement.
Stevenson walked out of the building with a brand new belt around his waist. Now, whether he actually gets this fight depends entirely on whether Benn is willing to play by his rules.
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