By Sam Volz: Eddie Hearn says Conor Benn will be fighting in June against a big name that will have the entire world riveted, eyes glued to the fight against a big name.
Not surprisingly, the fight will be staged outside of the UK, given Benn’s reluctance to meet with the British Boxing Board of Control to answer their questions about why he twice came up positive for the banned substance clomifene in drug tests conducted months apart by VADA.
Although Hearn didn’t name the opponent, he did reveal that 44-year-old Manny Pacquiao and the recently knocked out Chris Eubank Jr are two of the three names that could wind up as the unbeaten Benn’s opponent in June.
Hearn could be kidding himself if he seriously believes that the boxing world will be excited at seeing Benn fight the washed-up, ancient Pacquiao or the equally faded never was Eubank Jr, who looked dreadful being knocked out in four rounds by junior middleweight fringe contender Liam Smith on January 21st in Manchester.
It would be a bad idea for Benn to fight Eubank Jr or Pacquiao because there’s no upside for him against either of those shot fighters, and he’ll look silly if he loses.
Even if Benn wins, no one will give him credit because of the advanced age of Pacquiao and the lack of accomplishments of Eubank Jr, who never did anything with his career other than beating British domestic-level opposition and talking a lot of smack outside of the ring.
“Conor Benn’s next fight, the whole world will watch it. It’s going to be a massive fight, and we’re close now to agreeing to that fight and signing the contract,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV.
“That [Pacquiao] is one of the fights. Chris Eubank Junior is another fight,” said Hearn.
Benn’s fight in June could take place in Saudi Arabia, according to Hearn, which would almost certainly mean that he’ll be fighting Pacquiao because it’s impossible to believe the Saudis would want to dump a bunch of dough on a fight involving Conor and the 33-year-old Eubank Jr, considering what just happened to him against Liam Smith.
If Hearn is going to peddle a fight between Benn and Pacquiao on DAZN PPV, it could be a dumpster fire with only a trickle of fans being willing to pay to see that trash.
The reality is that the only fighters that Benn will receive credit for fighting in June would be from this list:
- Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis
- Errol Spence
- Canelo Alvarez
- Terence Crawford
- Vergil Ortiz Jr
- Eimantas Stanionis
- Regis Prograis
- Subriel Matias
- Gennadiy Golovkin
Johnny Nelson says Conor Benn “doing more damage than good”
“That interview didn’t do him any favors. Conor, I love you to death, but it didn’t do you any favors,” said Johnny Nelson to iFL TV about Conor Benn appearing on Piers Morgan Uncensored.
“I was thinking, ‘someone drag him out of there.’ It didn’t do him any good. Why would he be advised to go on there?”
“Can you imagine the amount of money he’s spending on legal? Guilty or not, true or false, he’s doing more damage than he is good to himself.”
