Via Scott Gilfoid: Eddie Hearn rejected the idea of a heavyweight match between Conor Benn and middleweight rival Chris Eubank Jr.
Benn is the equivalent of a money machine for Matchroom Boxing, and it doesn’t matter that Hearn has brought him in with the old, monopolistic boxers. With Benn’s famous surname, Hearn need not compare him to the opposite in talent.
Eubank Jr was also close to being swept away, but he still had power in his stealthy left hook. You’ll hate to see what Eubank Jr can do to Benn if he lands his left hook to hit his chin.
Conor Benn = Money machine
UK fans want to see Conor fight because he’s a celebrity’s son Nigel Benn. Hearn won’t tamper with Conor’s earning potential by letting him move up to 154 to fight Eubank Jr. bigger, stronger and more experienced (32-2, 23 KOs).
At this point, Benn will have a good chance of beating Eubank Jr, because he looked something bad on Saturday night against Liam Williams, but Hearn won’t risk Benn.
He looks like a celebrity Spindletop . oil well in Beaumont, Texas, faithfully pumping money in trucks year after year. This was the well that started the Texas oil boom in 1901.
Benn is the new earning replacement Matchroom who will take over now that Anthony Joshua has passed away and is about to retire in 2022.
Benn won’t stop producing gold for a long time if Hearn is careful with him.
Though Hearn believes the fight between undefeated Benn (20-0, 13 KOs) and Eubank Jr will be “BIG,” he has other plans for 25-year-old Conor.
Hearn says he wants to get Benn back in the ring in April and his long-range goal is to help him win the world title at 147. Benn is expected to face the former lightweight champion 32-year-old WBO Maurice ‘ Mighty Mo ‘ Hooker follows in April.
Hearn was drumming loudly for the fight between Benn and Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen next.
For that to happen, it takes a wait on Benn’s part for current champions Errol Spence Jr, Yuriorkis Gamboa and Terence Crawford to age or one of the 147 lb titles to be vacant.
Given that Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr are ranked high in the top five at 147, even if one of the belts becomes vacant or one of the champions ages, Benn will likely need to face one of those two talents .
Unfortunately, Benn hasn’t progressed enough lately for him to be considered a lockup against Boots Ennis or Vergil Jr.
Heard denied the fight between Benn and Eubank Jr
“It was a HUGE war. You’re going to need Eubank down to 154, which is going to be hard, and you’re going to need Conor to 154, which is going to be hard,” said Eddie Hearn. iFL TV on issues related to trying to organize a weightlifting match between Benn and Eubank Jr.
“But our goal for Conor is to win the world championship at 147th,” Hearn continued about the possibility of Benn taking on Eubank Jr. “They are at different stages in their careers.
“Conor is really just getting started at that level, and Eubank is slowly coming to an end. I think he’s 33, 32 years old, something like that. But I want to talk to [Eubank Jr’s promoter] Kalle [Sauerland] about it.
“It’s been a big fight, but for now, I’m focusing on April. A battle announcement is coming for Conor Benn soon,” Hearn said of Conor’s possible next fight against Maurice Hooker.
