Tank Davis Rejects Conor Benn Bout, Brit Desperate After 2 Failed VADA Tests
Gervonta Davis will not fight Conor Benn as talks over a fight broke down.
The bout was first entertained after Davis reacted to Benn’s poor performance against Peter Dobson, saying he needed three weeks to beat him. Eddie Hearn responded by making Tank Davis an offer, somewhere in the region of $10-15 million.
Davis has not fought since his win over Ryan Garcia last April, making it vital that he remains active. Tank currently has no opponent, nor does that appear any closer. Now, Hearn has confirmed that Benn will look elsewhere in order to secure a big fight.
Hearn On Davis
“No, not yet [Davis has not responded]. We’ll see where that goes. There’s a lot of movement on Conor Benn. There are probably five fights at the moment for Conor Benn. I’m not going to go into them. They are approaching the contractual stage. We had the hearing last week. In a couple of weeks, it should be resolved, and then we’ll decide where we’re going to fight. I want to see him [Conor] fight in the UK next, and it will be a massive fight,” Hearn said
This naturally begs the question: Who could Benn face? Danny Garcia has expressed his desire to face Benn. The former two-weight world champion fights at 154 pounds, having won titles at 140 and 147. While that may be true, Garcia has not fought since July 2022 when he beat Jose Benavidez Jr. That mass period of inactivity may show, while Benn cannot appear to get a fight at 147. But Garcia is willing to do that fight if the numbers make sense.
Garcia On Benn
“I would love to fight him at 154. That makes great sense. He wants to fight a big name. Garcia vs. Benn. There ain’t no bigger fight than fighting Danny Garcia. So, I would love that fight. Stylistically, that’s a great fight for me, and that’s a fight that I would love at 154, not at 147. They already know what time it is. I don’t duck no smoke. I’m about to change my middle name from ‘Swift’ to ‘Smoke.’If the price is right, I would go anywhere [to fight Benn],” Garcia said
Nevertheless, this fight is unlikely to help Benn’s career in the long term. If the goal is to fight in the UK, he must clear his name with the BBBofC following his failed VADA tests. Benn failed two tests for Clomiphene, a substance that is known for covering a steroid cycle.
The National Anti-Doping Agency removed his UKAD suspension, but the BBBofC appealed it. There was the perception that Benn’s defense was based on jurisdiction of whether UKAD could enforce VADA findings.
He cannot box in the UK until he is cleared. A Benn fight against Garcia in the US makes no sense since the Brit is not a big name in the States. His two fights on US soil did not go down well. That has left Benn with plenty to ponder.
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