Eddie Hearn has offered his immediate reaction to Conor Benn’s dominant victory over Regis Prograis, shortly after they collided at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The pair featured on the undercard of Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov yesterday evening, delivering a rather uneventful affair at a catchweight of 150lbs.
This saw Prograis jump up from his more familiar surroundings at 140lbs, while Benn was moving down from middleweight following his points win over Chris Eubank Jr.
Unlike his performance in November, though, ‘The Destroyer’ was unable to score any knockdowns as he nonetheless claimed a wide unanimous decision victory.
This represents his first outing since leaving Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, which came as a surprise when he also announced the signing of a one-fight deal with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
As a result of completing his contractual obligation, Benn now has the option to shop around for a new promoter, or perhaps extend his working relationship with White.
Either way, he is expected to secure a bigger test than Prograis, who, despite being a gifted two-time world champion, was injured in camp and, at 37, announced his retirement shortly after the defeat.
Speaking with Boxing News, Hearn suggested that Benn is a more spiteful operator at 160lbs, and ultimately said it was a ‘difficult’ watch due to the condition of Prograis.
“Yeah, it was what it was. It was difficult because Regis couldn’t really stand up. You could tell from even the first round his leg wasn’t, you know…
“Not the best [fight from Benn], but he’s had a lot to deal with and I wish him all the best.
“I think he’s better up at middleweight to be honest with you. I don’t think he has any power down at that weight, and I think he looked much more effective and stronger at middleweight.”
Regardless of his feelings towards Benn following the unexpected departure from Matchroom, many would agree with Hearn’s comments on the 29-year-old’s performance against Prograis. On the broadcast, Hall of Famer Andre Ward said Benn would need to find more to compete with the champions at welterweight.
