Eddie Hearn says Chris Eubank Jr. has turned down 'huge money' to fight Conor Benn
Eddie Hearn told Boxing News, "Yeah, he couldn't do a deal with him. Eubank saw the offers; just huge money he's turned turned down. Conor was in, signed, agreed, waiting. Conor said to me 'I don't think he's going to take the fight'. I disagreed, but he was right.
"I don't know what Eubank is going to do, he can never make money like that, but he's his own man."
Now, Matchroom's focus will switch to making 'The Destroyer's' next fight in February next year, with a list of opponents already composed, Hearn confirmed, "He will fight February 3rd and we will announce it next week. And there's a lot of fighters we're talking to and negotiating with. And I'm looking forward to seeing him back in the ring."
Wasserman Boxing promoter, Kalle Sauerland, also confirmed the fight was dead, "Yeah, we didn't make it," the German told IFL TV. "We couldn't make it commercially work and there's not really much else to say, we've moved on. That fight is, as I stand here now, absolutely dead in the water. It was a commercial discussion, I'll leave it at that."
He then revealed who Chris Eubank Jr. will fight next fight instead of Conor Benn.
February 3rd, 2024
Attention now turns to who could be Benn's next opponent.
Domestic rival Josh Kelly was only just calling out Conor Benn this week, ahead of his fight on Saturday night with Placido Ramirez in Sunderland.
Despite the 'Pretty Boy' not being as big a name as Eubank Jr., the 29-year-old is headlining this weekend, is world-ranked at IBF #4, and has an eyecatching style that could make for a fantastic matchup with Benn.
The fighter most fans would really want to see Benn face is American prodigy, Jaron "Boots" Ennis. However, the unbeaten 26-year-old is now the IBF World welterweight champion, after Terence Crawford was stripped, and Benn isn't ranked with their organisation so a title shot wouldn't be sanctioned.
Benn is well known for calling out the biggest names, such as Terence Crawford, but 'Bud' is rematching Errol Sence next, so he is off the table.
There has been a few Twitter spats with WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis in the past weeks, but this would involve lengthy negotiations as to what weight the pair would meet at.
Brand-new WBC super-lightweight champion, Devin Haney, is another superstar Conor has been eyeing. Devin's father was quoted this week saying that it would be an honour to for his fighting family to meet the famous fighting Benns, "To be in the ring or their presence, the Benn family, they’re boxing royalty, bro, that would be an honour."
Conor is ranked WBC #5 and there is a notable name one place above him who has been desperate to fight him for years – David Avanesyan. The former world champion fights this month in Birmingham in a ring return to set him up for a big (perhaps final) year in 2024. The fight has been a long time coming and the time is now right for Benn to tackle a man who would've been favourite to beat him just a short while ago, but not he is 35, coming off a knockout loss to Terence Crawford, and inactove for a year, the tables would be turned and Benn would be fancied this time.
The welterweight division is the most populated weight category in boxing, so the potential for suitable opponents is limitless. Hearn said himself that they are working through a 'list', so Matchroom clearly have a number of options to choose from.
Fans will not have to speculate for too long, however, as the promoter has already confirmed, "He will fight February 3rd and we will announce it next week."
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