Conor Benn has now been cleared to fight with UKAD, choosing not to appeal the NADP’s decision to dismiss charges. The 28-year-old Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) can now resume his career in the UK. He’s no longer facing a ban and can continue fighting without being restricted.
While that’s a positive on the surface for Benn, it doesn’t guarantee success in fights against top-level fighters, even ones with inflated rankings like Chris Eubank Jr. It’s expected that Benn will hurriedly set up a fight with Eubank Jr. or possibly WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios.
The chances of Benn beating Eubank Jr or Barrios are quite slim because he’s not shown the same power that he once had before his two-year suspension.
Still Unproven
UK fans are still enamored of Conor Benn despite never beating any top-tier contenders during his eight-year career. He’s popular because he is the son of famous British fighter Nigel Benn, and that goes a long way in the UK. If you are the son of a famous boxer, it automatically places them above talented fighters. It’s a celebrity-type thing.
British boxing fans badly need a star to adore, and Benn is about the best they can hope for right now. Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are old and nearly finished, only holding on due to their past achievements.
Benn’s last six wins:
– Peter Dobson
– Rodolfo Orozco
– Chris Van Heerden
– Chris Algieri
– Adrian Granados
– Samuel Vargas
Can Hearn Manufacture A Star?
If promoter Eddie Hearn uses his cunning matchmaking expertise, he can maneuver Benn to keep him from getting beaten repeatedly to help bring in the money for the next three to five years. For Hearn to do that, he should forget about matching Benn against Eubank Jr. because he’d likely get found out by him. The 35-year-old Eubank Jr. is NOT a true world-class fighter, but he’s still good enough to beat a fighter of Conor Benn’s level.
If you’re Hearn, you need to tell the public that Benn needs tune-ups to get the cobwebs off and focus on matching him against fringe contenders until he spots a weak champion or a vacant belt with a beatable contender waiting in line.
Winning a world title will validate Benn in the eyes of the British public but not with the U.S. fans. They have their eyes open and know what Ben is all about, and they won’t waste their time watching his fights.
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