Conor Benn (24-1, 14 KOs) closed the door on a trilogy match with Chris Eubank Jr., saying the rivalry is over after his 12-round unanimous decision on Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom)
While Eubank Jr. (35-4, 25 KOs) wasn’t ruling out a trilogy to break the 1-1 tie between them, Benn, 29, made it clear that he’s targeting big game at 147 against two world champions and a couple of popular former lightweights.
Tonight, Benn dropped Eubank Jr. twice in the 12th round en route to winning by the scores 119-107, 116-110, and 118-108. It was a one-sided fight dominated by Benn, who had more energy than the weak-looking Eubank Jr.
Fans Don’t Want a Trilogy Anyway
Compared to the first fight between them last April, it was a disappointing fight. Even the co-feature bout between Jack Catterall and Ekow Essuman was more exciting to watch tonight. That should be a signal to Turki Alalshikh and promoter Eddie Hearn to forget about setting up a third fight between Eubank Jr. and Benn.
They’ve milked this cow enough already, and it’s time to move on. It’s already forlorn that they’ve fought twice. A third fight would be viewed as a pathetic money-grab between two nepotism babies, living off their famous parents’ achievements.
Benn’s Four callouts:
- Ryan Garcia
- Mario Barrios – WBA welterweight champion
- Devin Haney
- Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero – WBA 147-lb champion
“I fancy [Mario] Barrios for the WBC [welterweight] world title, Ryan Garcia, Rolly Romero, Devin Haney. All them youngst can get it any day of the week,” said Conor Benn to DAZN Boxing following his win over Chris Eubank Jr. tonight, talking about who he wants to fight next. “This Benn and Eubank rivalry [is over].”
Barrios: Benn’s Fastest Path to Gold
The first name that Benn mentioned in his callouts was WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios. That’s an easy belt for Benn to win, and it gives him his best chance of winning a belt at 147.
Norman Jr. Left Off Benn’s List
Interestingly, Benn didn’t mention WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr., who is defending against Haney next Saturday night on November 22nd. It’s strictly easy marks for Benn and his list. He’s very calculated and vulture-like with his picks. If Conor wanted to show courage and follow in his father Nigel’s footsteps genuinely, he’d have called out these fighters:
- Brian Norman Jr.
- Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis
- Vergil Ortiz Jr.
- Bakhram Murtazaliev
There’s an excellent chance that Norman Jr. will defeat Haney. So, unless Conor adds his name to the list, he’ll have to focus on Ryan, Barrios, or Rolly.