Admitting to negotiating favourable deals against Chris Eubank Jr, Eddie Hearn is unsure that Conor Benn would have the same success against his domestic rival on a fairer playing field.
The two Brits were initially supposed to collide in 2022, only for Benn to test positive for banned substance clomifene and cause their showdown to be cancelled.
Their rivalry was then revisited in 2025 and, following a Fight of the Year contender, Eubank managed to emerge with a unanimous decision victory.
The naturally bigger man was, of course, heavily favoured to win but, due the rehydration clause in their contract, he could not exceed the 170lb limit on the morning of their contest.
One can only imagine the impact this had on the middleweight’s performance but, during their rematch later that year, Eubank certainly seemed a severely depleted version of his typical self.
Conversely, Benn was brimming with vigour as he scored two 12th-round knockdowns and claimed a wide points victory.
Since then, ‘The Destroyer’ has united with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing but, while he was still with Matchroom, Hearn admits to having negotiated the best possible advantage for his man.
Speaking with The Stomping Ground, the Matchroom boss confessed that he is now unsure of Benn’s chances in a potential trilogy bout with Eubank.
“When you talk about the rehydration [clause], when you talk about the weight [160lbs], we did our job to get the best possible edge [against] Chris Eubank.
“If Conor fought him at 168[lbs], with no rehydration clause, could he beat Eubank? I don’t know.”
With Benn coming off a second-round stoppage defeat to Ryan Garcia, the 29-year-old is likely to campaign at either middle or super-middleweight, where a trilogy clash with Eubank could soon be explored.
