There is a new twist in the Conor Benn-Chris Eubank Jr. saga. After the pair had their first bout in April, the rematch has been a huge point of contention. At one point, the all-Brit clash seemed destined for a sequel, with a September 20 date being pushed around, with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh himself endorsing the rematch. However, frustrated by the lack of movement from the IBO middleweight champion’s camp, he pulled out, leaving a dark cloud over their second fight.
In the following weeks, Conor Benn and Eddie Hearn even considered the rematch over, declaring it “dead.” That is when Chris Eubank Jr.’s manager, Napper Amoakoh, flipped the script again, claiming that, “Conor Benn’s a fight he(Eubank) wants.” With a single sentence, we are back in the promised land, and it seems like we have a new date.
A new date for the all-Brit clash
In a recent BoxingScene interview, Eddie Hearn, after weeks of exasperation, appeared visibly upbeat about the prospects of a Benn-Eubank Jr. rematch. The Matchroom head honcho further announced that even HE Alalshikh actively supports the plan with a newly proposed date. “We got asked by His Excellency. Would we be happy to do the event in November? The answer for us is yes. We would have much preferred September, but obviously Eubank for some reason needs more time,” he said.
Given the extreme struggles the Hove native went through to make weight in April, the long rest makes sense. He even came a bit overweight during the weigh-in, resulting in a $500,000 fine. Considering Eubank Jr would have to go through a similar weight cut again, the 35-year-old isn’t taking any chances.
Coming back to Hearn, the promoter noted that this is still not an official announcement yet. “I don’t think it’s been agreed yet or approved yet. But if it came in November, we’re talking to a few venues, we would make it happen,” he clarified. And with the rematch still in doubt, Eddie Hearn playfully revealed they’re exploring various options for Conor Benn, naming WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios as the leading candidate, if the negotiations again break down. That said, Matchroom has its sights set on additional fights for its boxer.
Conor Benn will be fine
Even if the Chris Eubank Jr. rematch doesn’t happen, Conor Benn has plenty of options to choose from. Other than PBC and Matchroom actively discussing the WBC welterweight clash, ‘The Destroyer’ has also somehow lured in Shakur Stevenson. The pair appeared together on The Ariel Helwani Show a few weeks ago and instantly got into an argument. While the pair threw barbs at each other relentlessly, it somehow ended with them agreeing to a matchup at 147 lbs. “Honestly, we can do that next,” Benn said, discussing a potential fight against Shakur Stevenson. The WBC lightweight champion isn’t someone to back down from a challenger and said, “I’m down” to escalate the tension.
A few days later, Devin Haney, who is preparing to make his welterweight debut against Brian Norman Jr., also called out ‘The Destroyer.’ In an interview with The Ring, the former lightweight champion claimed that he is here at 147 lbs to put himself up against the very best. And the first name on his list is none other than the 23-1 boxer. “Yeah, for sure,” he said, while talking about a potential fight against Conor Benn.
However, ‘The Dream’ noted the 28-year-old’s recent adventures in the middleweight division. So, if Benn wants the match, he needs to have a few warm-up fights beforehand. “I want him to fight, actually fight, at 147 first, rather than, you know, me just hoping that he makes weight and then, but yeah. If he comes back to down to 147, of course. Yeah, I’ll let him make that fight,” Haney concluded.
So, despite the Chris Eubank Jr. rematch being the priority at the moment, even if it doesn’t happen, Benn will be fine. He has more than enough big options at welterweight that will get him back to the top. And honestly, at this point, it seems like a move back down to his old division will benefit him far more than chasing the all-Brit rematch. What do you think?
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