By Barry Holbrook: Conor Benn says he wants the “biggest fight possible” when he returns to the ring because he feels that a victory over that fighter will leave no doubt about his career.
At this point, Benn probably won’t be able to erase the taint from his two positive tests for PEDs by beating a top name because without him meeting with the British Boxing Board of Control to turn over the 270-page document that he gave to the WBC for them to clear him, he’s going to be viewed as guilty in their eyes.
The problem is, fans don’t believe that Benn (21-0, 14 KOs) truly wants the “biggest fight” to prove himself, but rather the biggest payday possible against 44-year-old Manny Pacquiao because that would set him up for life, and cushion his retirement when his career goes into a steep slide afterward.
Fighting Pacquiao, who has been retired for the last two years, won’t do anything for Benn’s career. That would give the impression that Benn is continuing to cherry-pick old, over-the-hill fighters like he’s been doing against the likes of Chris Van Heerden, Adrian Granados, Chris Algieri, and Samuel Vargas.
Benn has likely done quite well for himself without having fought any notable opponents, so it might not be essential for him to take a risky fight against a top name to try and prove himself. If it’s just about money, Benn can keep doing what he’s been doing without taking any risks and continue to rake in the dough.
“I need the biggest fight possible, the hardest fight so that when I beat that person, there is no question as to my whole career,” said Conor Benn to Piers Morgan Uncensored. “That’s what I want to do.”
I was 99% sure @ConorNigel was a cheat but after watching that interview with @piersmorgan now I’m 100% sure. Imagine failing TWO drugs tests & then trying to play the victim!? The balls on this kid!! Or should I say… the eggs on him 🤦🏽♂️
— Chris Eubank Jr (@ChrisEubankJr) March 7, 2023
“First of all, Conor wasn’t exonerated by the WBC. They don’t have the position to exonerate anybody. They’re not a governing body of the sport. They’re a sanctioning body. So what they say is almost irrelevant,” said Simon Jordan to talkSPORT Boxing.
“What they became is a witness for the defense. What they provided him was an alternate version because the 270-page report that his lawyers and the individual experts that they brought in has produced was about VADA testing, and they didn’t go with that.
“What they did was give an alternative explanation, which he doesn’t want to have. He doesn’t want this alternative explanation,” said Jordan.
