Chris Eubank Jr. said he knew from the opening round he would likely lose against Conor Benn on Saturday. It was a brutal self-assessment from a proud fighting man.
He was a shadow of the fighter we saw in April, when he out-boxed Benn and took every shot in his stride to win on all three cards. While he was gracious in defeat and praised Benn after the rematch -- in which he hardly fired a shot against his rival, dropping to the canvas twice in Round 12 -- he conceded he wasn't feeling right heading into the bout.
"I've been through hell and back," he told media after.
He wouldn't be drawn on what "hell" was and truth is it's nobody's business. But it does prompt the question: What next for Eubank Jr. and will we see him in the ring again?
The two fights over the last seven months would have taken a significant toll on his body and Saturday's punch stats speak volumes.
In April, he landed 367 total punches, compared to just 173 on Saturday, per CompuBox. He registered 227 power punches in the first fight, with 92 in the rematch.
On the eye test, he just looked lacklustre from the first bell. He said as much himself.
Several boxing figures, including Oscar De La Hoya and Shakur Stevenson, stressed how much the weight cut and dehydration would have been a factor across both fights.
"Let me give you a little tutorial on boxing since you all don't know s---. Eubanks never had a chance due weight drain," De La Hoya wrote on X.
Don't think of his fights with Benn as individual bouts, but 24 rounds -- with two gruelling camps sandwiched in between -- in which he had to fight while being well below his physical best, dehydrated or at least not as strong and powerful as he could have been. How can that not have an effect?
Whatever happened in camp this time clearly weighted heavily on Eubank Jr. and while Benn, now in his physical prime, grew in strength for the second fight, his older opponent diminished in front of our eyes. He looked like an aging fighter on Saturday.
Can he come back from that? He might not even know himself. But it seems there are two options if he continues.
Before the fight, promoter Ben Shalom told ESPN a fight with Canelo Alvarez was on the line, so that now seems unlikely now but still not impossible. Canelo might see it as a chance to take on a big name but someone he'll feel can beat and even knock out. You could see that fight landing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, given both fighters' relationships with Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.
It's hard to imagine Eubank Jr., being the warrior he is, turning down a shot at the Mexican even if retirement is in his subconscious.
Then there's the prospect of making one last push for a world title.
Chasing a title at super middleweight could take a year, by which time he'll be 37 with another camp under him. Does he want that? Can his body do it even if his mind is game, which it no doubt would be?
Eddie Hearn said he believes people around him will want Eubank Jr. to step away, considering as well he is about to become a father to twins.
No doubt the public will want to see him again.
He is a showman, a personality and tough as anything. He is always in good fights.
Whatever he decides, Eubank Jr. was a key part of two memorable events this year, which we should be thankful for and will live long in the memory of British boxing fans.