Eddie Hearn Teases Huge PPV Fight for Conor Benn, Sparks Speculation

Image: Eddie Hearn Teases Huge PPV Fight for Conor Benn, Sparks Speculation
February 03, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor Benn and Peter Dobson during their fight at the The Chelsea at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom.
By Daniel Mcglinchey - 02/29/2024 - Comments

Promoter Eddie Hearn says he’s got four potential opponents for welterweight Conor Benn’s next fight on PPV. Benn (23-0, 14 KOs).

The Mystery Opponents

Fans believe that 45-year-old Manny Pacquiao is one of the four that Benn could face, which interests people, but it would also be off-putting due to the age of the Filipino superstar.

Pacquiao is retired, so if that fight happens, Hearn would be luring Manny with money to fight the much younger 27-year-old Benn, and the backlash would be huge. Hearn needs to think about the tremendous amount of criticism that Conor Benn will receive from fans if he fights Pacquiao because he won’t receive credit for beating the old warrior.

It would be another case of Benn fighting an older guy like we’ve seen him do in his wins over Chris Algieri, Samual Vargas, Chris Van Heerden, Adrian Granados, Peter Dobson, and Sebastian Formella.

Hearn’s cryptic statement on iFL TV has fans guessing who Benn’s next opponent will be. Here are the clues Eddie has given:

  • “Greatest of our generation”
  • “Massive stadium fight”
  • “Welterweight world title”
  • “Two-division world champion”

“One is a huge name and one of the greatest fighters of our generation,” said Hearn to iFL TV about Conor Benn’s next fight. “Another is a massive stadium fight. Another could be for the welterweight world title. And the other is a former two-division world champion. Conor’s gonna be in a massive fight next.”

It’s easy to guess that Benn’s next opponent on PPV will be chosen from this gang of four:

  • Manny Pacquiao: One of the greatest fighters of our generation
  • Chris Eubank Jr: stadium fight
  • Mario Barrios: for the vacant WBC welterweight title
  • Danny Garcia: former two-division world champion

A fight between Benn and Barrios (28-2, 18 KOs) could be for the WBC welterweight title if it goes down. Barrios currently holds the WBC interim 147-lb belt, and it’s believed that Terence Crawford will be moving up to 154. That’ll leave the WBC title vacant for Barrios and whoever he fights next to battle for the strap.

It’s unlikely that Hearn will choose Danny Garcia for Benn’s next opponent, as that fight won’t won’t sell on PPV. Garcia is too old at 36 and hasn’t been active recently. Besides that, he’d likely destroy Benn, which would mess up the gravy train that Conor has going.

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