Eddie Hearn’s quick and honest reply when asked if Conor Benn can become a world champion after getting a surprising fight offer
Eddie Hearn was very honest when asked about Conor Benn’s chances of becoming a world champion after his tough loss to Ryan Garcia.
Early Sunday morning, Benn faced the toughest defeat of his career, losing by knockout to WBC welterweight champion Garcia in Las Vegas. This was Benn’s first shot at a world title, and it didn’t go as planned.
After the fight, many people started wondering if Benn will ever win a world title, even though he might get a chance to skip the usual line for another championship fight. Hearn didn’t hold back in sharing his thoughts on this.
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Benn had worked with Matchroom Boxing for over 10 years since he turned pro in 2016. But this February, he made a surprising move to join Zuffa, which Hearn described as a “dagger in the heart.” Since then, Hearn hasn’t been shy to say exactly how he feels about Benn. He even predicted Benn would lose by knockout in the first three rounds, and now that the fight is over, Hearn spoke out again.
“I predicted that Ryan Garcia would win inside three rounds,” Hearn told iFL TV. “I’ve known Conor Benn his whole career. I just felt like he looked lost. He didn’t look like himself, maybe because of the weight. Conor usually holds weight for a long time, but this time he came in very light and I don’t think he dropped the weight fast before the fight. He trains hard, but in the ring, he looked confused, jumping around with no clear plan — kind of like a rabbit caught in headlights.”
Even though Hearn admitted he might be a bit biased because of how things ended with Benn earlier this year, he said he doesn’t see Benn as a world-class fighter and doubts he can win a championship, especially at welterweight.
“I probably have more reasons than most to be tough on him,” Hearn said. “But I don’t want to be too harsh. My job is to promote fighters and get them big fights, and I do think Conor Benn is a good fighter who’s worked hard. He deserves respect for that. But is he world-class? I don’t think so. Doesn’t mean he’s not good—it just means he’s not at that top level, particularly at this weight class that doesn’t suit him.”
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Even so, Benn might get another chance at a world title sooner than expected. For the Garcia fight, Benn had to drop a lot of weight, coming in at 146 lbs, then gaining 32 lbs back after the weigh-in. The welterweight limit is 147 lbs, but Benn’s natural weight is closer to 160 lbs, which is middleweight.
If Benn decides to go back to middleweight, he could get a shot at WBO middleweight champion Denzel Bentley.
“In my opinion, Conor’s profile is big enough to skip the line,” Bentley told Sky Sports. “It’s unfair, but that’s how this sport works. It’s great for me financially, so I’d definitely take that fight. I’ve never had any issues with Conor, but if he moves to 160 lbs, he goes from buddy to challenger.”
However, since Benn has said his future in boxing is unsure right now, it’s not clear if he’ll take the chance to fight Bentley or if he’s even thinking about it after the loss to Garcia.
READ MORE: Ryan Garcia says only one person in boxing can beat him after destroying Conor Benn