Eddie Hearn is looking to match Conor Benn with one of his fighters following their sudden promotional split.
Benn rocked the boxing world when he announced his signing with Zuffa Boxing this past weekend, leaving Hearn’s Matchroom after a decade of working together.
It is a double blow for Hearn, who stuck by Benn through the extremely public fallout of his two failed doping tests. Not only has he lost a star in the sport, but he has lost him to Dana White, whose brash entry into the sport has signalled real intent to become its biggest and most influential promotional outfit .
Speaking at the post-fight press conference following Leigh Wood’s victory over Josh Warrington in Nottingham, Hearn first responded to Benn’s offer to be ‘part of the team’ going forward.
“I don’t know what that partnership looks like. I mean, I wasn’t planning on sitting underneath Dana White at the press conference and doing his shoe laces or whatever.”
He then turned to matchmaking, suggesting Benn face new super-welterweight world champion Josh Kelly – a fight the promoter says he had floated in private recently.
“We can work together, he can fight Josh Kelly. That’s a world [title fight]. I think 154 is going to be the division Conor Benn migrates to. And I mentioned [the fight] a few times last week – I don’t know if that made Conor jump ship… But Conor Benn vs Josh Kelly at the Stadium of Light, it’s 50,000 or whatever it is.
“I also understand that Conor’s a big star and sometimes you don’t want to… It’s weird, when some people like that don’t want to give the other guy, Josh Kelly, the fight, even though [Conor would be] challenging for the title. I get it … but it’s a big fight, so we’ll have to see.”
Kelly has been vocal about facing Benn, looking to deliver on a simmering rivalry in an intriguing all-British clash. It is unlikely to happen, with Benn intent on returning to the welterweight ranks following his two middleweight bouts with Chris Eubank Jr last year. In fact, super-welterweight – 154lbs – is not even a division Zuffa Boxing plans to recognise.
