Benn Calls Out Haney And Spence After Win Over Dobson
Conor Benn wasted no time calling out Devin Haney and Errol Spence Jr. after his victorious return to the ring in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Benn extended his unbeaten professional record to 23 wins but was unable to add to his 14 knockouts with a points win over Peter Dobson at the The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The British fighter started strong and had to hold off a fightback from Dobson in the later rounds, but still did enough to secure a wide victory on all three judges’ scorecards.
Immediately after the fight, Benn called out several fighters, including old foe Chris Eubank Jr. The pair were set to clash in December 2023 before Benn tested positive for a banned substance. The saga surrounding that ban, and the subsequent appeal, means ‘The Destroyer’ is still blocked from fighting in the UK.
“He’s a p***y,” Benn said of Eubank. “That’s all there is to it.”
Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn said he wants to get his fighter in world title contention, but first is keen for him to settle his grudge with Eubank. The rivalry between the two families dates back to their fathers, Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr., who contested two fights in the 1990s.
“We want to position him for a world title,” Hearn said. “We need to get that lingering problem out of his head. Let’s get that done. I want to give him the biggest fight I can in the UK. This guy has a big future in British boxing.”
Hearn then added that a fight with Benn would earn Eubank “three times his biggest payday” and urged him to “sign the contract”.
However, Benn’s focus was more on other fighters. First, the 27-year-old took aim during his post-fight press conference at Mario Barrios, who claimed the WBC interim welterweight title last September.
Benn Wants Barrios
“I’ll fight anyone man. Preferably, if we can go Barrios next for the WBC Interim, that would be my choice,” Benn said. “Obviously, you got the Errol Spence-Crawford fight.
“I don’t know what’s happening with that. I’m not here to waste time and wait around for anyone. For me, I just want to get out there. Get back out. Like I said to the team, I’m ready to go in April.”
Benn then went on a rampage on X, formerly Twitter, as several fighters criticized his performance against Dobson.
Responding to a comment from a fan that questioned whether Benn had lost his power, Haney wrote, “Left that s**t in the needle,” referring to Benn’s doping ban. Benn hit back by writing to Haney: “How is pillow fists talking about power. Who tf have you knocked out recently? Come feel my power then!”
Spence also referred to Benn’s failed drugs test, which the WBC had claimed might have been caused by “elevated consumption of eggs”. The former welterweight world champion posted an egg emoji next to “xactly” as part of a disparaging comment aimed at Benn’s fight time. To accommodate UK audiences, he fought in the afternoon in Las Vegas.
Benn responded by writing: “Fight me next and I’ll close that other eye”, referring to Spence’s busted-up face from his stoppage defeat to Terence Crawford last year.
Benn wasn’t done there. He called domestic rival Josh Kelly “irrelevant” and said to fellow British fighter Michael McKinson: “Where’s your power ever been you boring ugly little maggot. You fight on YouTube before the main card starts because no promoter wants to see your eye stinging style now don’t @ me ever again.”
Benn then rounded off his social media session with a list for Hearn: “Haney, Eubank Jr (not Harry), Spence, [Kell] Brook, Barrios. Any of the above next @EddieHearn.”