Simply 4 days faraway from his win over Chris Eubank Jr., Conor Benn already has his subsequent goal in sight. Or fairly, targets.
Instantly following Benn’s lopsided unanimous decision victory over Eubank of their highly-anticipated rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London this previous Saturday, the callouts started. Ryan Garcia, WBC light-weight champion Shakur Stevenson, WBO welterweight champ Brian Norman Jr. and IBF titlist Lewis Crocker have been amongst these to throw their names within the hat for a possible showdown with Benn.
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Benn revealed his plans to Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Wednesday — and he had a distinct goal in thoughts.
“[I’ll go] again right down to 147 [pounds], positively,” Benn stated. “I do not understand how lengthy I’ve acquired to make 147, so ideally we go straight into the largest 147 battle we will make. … That is [Mario] Barrios.”
Benn initially named WBC welterweight champion Barrios as his prime goal, however upon being proven a latest back-and-forth between himself and Garcia on social media, he swiftly modified his focus.
“Yeah, you are proper [Garcia is the biggest fight],” Benn admitted. “Simply seeing [those] tweets, positively Ryan. … I’ve modified my thoughts. Simply seeing it infuriates me.”
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“I simply assume he is an fool and I would like to knock him out in entrance of 65,000, 70,000 right here in London,” Benn continued. “I really feel like me and Ryan will make for a fantastic battle. I really feel like I am at my most harmful at 147. Particularly mixing it with the larger guys, I really feel lots stronger. If Rolly Romero put him down, who’s a fantastic fighter as effectively, I might positively — I really feel like I am much more explosive than Rolly, much more correct and reactive and really triggering, very sharp. I really feel like I might do some injury.”
“I’ve instructed [Benn’s manager] Keith Connolly and Lee [Emptage, Benn’s lawyer] to make the Ryan Garcia battle. If that does not materialize, then cool, no downside — Barrios. These are the 2 folks on my hit checklist. Ryan Garcia could be a mega-fight, and little question, I imagine I knock him out. At 147, I am at my most harmful for positive. That is the place all my highlight-reel knockouts have come.”
Because the dialog continued, Benn appeared to lean towards Garcia being the front-runner and Barrios being the backup plan, though his father, British legend Nigel Benn — who gained world titles in two weight lessons within the Nineties — disagreed. The boxing Corridor of Famer made it clear that he’d choose to see Conor emulate his world title achievements fairly than chase Garcia in a big-money, non-title bout.
“He is at all times wished the WBC [belt],” Nigel stated. “So I do not assume cash ought to get in [the way]. Cash is at all times going to comply with him, it isn’t going to go nowhere. I feel me personally, alright, he won’t make the identical sum of money [to fight Barrios], however having that strap round your waist [means more], so when he retires, he can at all times say, ‘I’ve executed it. I reached the highest.'”
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Whereas Garcia and Barrios are the perfect subsequent opponents for Benn, they might each quickly be dominated out. Golden Boy headman Oscar De La Hoya confirmed throughout the Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Erickson Lubin DAZN broadcast earlier this month that he’s engaged on a Barrios vs. Garcia pay-per-view battle subsequent, which if made, would depart Benn looking for one other foe.
Benn might need to look no additional than “The Ariel Helwani Present” for his subsequent opponent. The final time Benn appeared on program in July, he was unexpectedly joined by WBC lightweight champion Stevenson. Benn and Stevenson engaged in a respectful however entertaining debate and finally agreed to discover a 147-pound matchup sooner or later.
“I really spoke with Shakur [after the Eubank win],” Benn revealed Wednesday. “I am not one to speak — after I discuss it, I imply it.
“I spoke to him [and said], ‘Are you being severe [about fighting me]? As a result of when you’re being severe, we will do the battle in April, and we will do it at a stadium [in London].’ He stated, ‘I am going to get [Teofimo Lopez] out of the way in which. I’ll get the win for positive, and 100% we will do the battle in April in England.'”
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Stevenson is closely rumored to be finalizing a battle with WBO tremendous light-weight champion Lopez for Jan. 31 in New York, the place a win would see Stevenson develop into a four-division champion. Such a win might additionally put a Stevenson vs. Benn battle on the playing cards for a significant outside occasion within the UK subsequent summer time.
Again within the Nineties, there was main curiosity in a 3rd battle between Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn, however finally it by no means materialized. Eubank Sr. gained the primary bout and the second led to a draw.
When the youthful Benn avenged his personal defeat to Eubank Jr. on Saturday to even the rating 1-1, he was insistent that the e-book had been closed eternally on the Benn-Eubank rivalry. He instructed Uncrowned {that a} potential Eubank trilogy bout would solely materialize north of 160 kilos, possible at tremendous middleweight (168 kilos), and Benn has no real interest in even preventing as excessive as middleweight transferring ahead.
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Though Benn and Eubank nonetheless do not see eye-to-eye, there’s a newfound respect there. Eubank embraced Benn after the battle on Saturday for the primary time. The pair didn’t share such respect after their first encounter.
“Now that the mud has settled just a little bit, he isn’t my kind of man, however he is a great fighter,” Benn stated his rival. “He gave me two nice fights, and we made historical past collectively. However on a private degree, most likely not my kind of man, no.”
