November 1, 2023
Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
Conor Benn was never the strongest fighter around. Nor was he an extremely hard-hitter. Yet, as the years went by, he slowly began filling into his body and developing power.
His propensity for sending his opponents into the third row emboldened him. Not only did he continue to call out all of the top welterweights in the world but he also snuck in a brazen name drop of Chris Eubank Jr., a highly ranked middleweight contender.
Although they compete 13 pounds apart, fighting Eubank made sense, considering that their fathers fought over three decades ago. With most of the British landscape waiting for them to get it on, they were left disappointed when Benn, just a few days before their showdown, was flagged for a failed drug test. He would then spend the next year attempting to clear his name.
So far, things haven’t worked exactly the way he wanted but he was allowed to fight recently. In essentially a tune-up bout, Benn (22-0, 14 KOs) scored a lopsided decision against longtime journeyman, Rodolfo Orozco.
One fight was all Benn believed he needed to get himself back on track and feel like himself again. Now, according to promoter Eddie Hearn, both parties have crossed all of their t’s and dotted their i’s. Meaning, a showdown between them is back on.
Originally, Hearn was hoping to finalize things for a late December date. That line of thinking has ultimately fallen by the wayside as early 2024 is now a more feasible target.
In terms of the actual matchup, Benn is feeling as confident as ever. It’s still unclear if he’ll move up fully to 160 or if they’ll agree to a catchweight instead. Those minute details, however, are extraneous. No matter the weight class, Benn believes the end result will be the same. “I’m going to take your head clean off your f——— neck in 3 rounds,” said Benn on his social media account. “Clean off.”
Comments