Benn Wants The Kell Brook Fight, Benn Unimpressed With Eubank’s Win Over Smith
Eddie Hearn has outlined Conor Benn’s desired fight as the boxer has still not returned to the ring since his two failed VADA tests for Clomiphene.
Benn was scheduled to face Chris Eubank Jr. only for the British Boxing of Board of Control to pull the fight due to the positive tests.
Thereafter, Eubank was suspended by UKAD as an investigation continued. Although that may have been the case, an independent body removed the suspension giving Benn the right to box.
But given that the British Boxing Board of Control and UKAD have appealed the suspension being removed, Benn must go through another hearing.
But for all the uncertainty surrounding his career, Hearn has outlined Benn’s next possible opponent: Kell Brook. The latter has not fought since he stopped Amir Khan in his last fight.
In the aftermath, though, there were concerns over Brook’s mental health. A video was leaked which appeared to show him snorting cocaine. But given that Brook is 37, a final big domestic fight could make sense.
Hearn On Benn
“I think Sky are trying to talk Kell into fighting Liam Smith, probably. I don’t think that’s the fight Kell wants. The fight that Kell wants is Conor Benn but we haven’t made him an offer for that yet. We will look to do [the fight]—it’s a great fight—for December.
“Obviously, we’ll probably make a decision this week as to if Conor fights in September. But if not, maybe he goes straight into the Kell Brook fight and I think that’s realistic for December,” Hearn
Despite this being the case, boxing fans will need Benn’s situation to be resolved before any fights can happen.
There is still the question of whether Benn had proven that he had no clomiphene in his system or whether he had provided a reason for its inclusion. After all, the issue of strict liability still hangs around. And there is no getting away from that.
Eubank’s Win
In addition to this, Connor Benn has not been impressed by Chris Eubank Jr.’s win over Liam Smith.
Eubank stopped Smith in the tenth round after dropping the Liverpudlian on two occasions in a complete reversal of the first bout.
Under the tutelage of his new trainer, Brian McIntyre, Eubank looked like a man who was completely rejuvenated in his quest to gain revenge from the first fight in which Smith stopped Eubank in the fourth round.
However, on closer inspection, things did go Smith’s way. In the second round, it became clear that Smith’s ankle was not moving as it should have been.
Although that was no excuse for Smith’s loss, it was something that Benn picked up on. Thereafter, Benn admitted that he was not impressed by Eubank’s performance in that it had taken him longer than may have been expected to stop someone who was suffering from an injury.
“Smith made him look good. What, it takes you ten rounds to dispatch of someone who’s got a broken leg? I’m not really impressed. Eubank, let’s get it on, there’s unfinished business there.
“You could definitely see that it was an injury, that’s all that was. 100 percent, you could tell Smith weren’t himself. His shots weren’t coming off, he weren’t able to get out the way of the shots. And that’s all that was.
“I didn’t think it was an impressive performance. If you’ve got a wounded man in there, take hold of them, get them out of there. If I’ve got someone injured in front of me who can’t throw back, they ain’t seeing the end of the round. That’s it.
“He looked better than he has done previously, but it weren’t all that. Smith made him look good tonight. I’d get hold of him [Eubank] within four, I’d put it on him straightaway. We can do that next, no problem,” Eubank
Benn’s Future
Nevertheless, Benn’s comments could simply be viewed as an attempt to keep himself relevant. The boxer is no closer to returning since he has an appeal that he must answer for. And with a possible ban on his hands, Benn’s future remains unclear.
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