A ROYAL BEATDOWN
toll paid by his family and children, who “sacrificed time with their Dad so I could chase this dream. They’ve had to share me with this sport their entire lives. So when people ask me what’s next for Conor Benn, right now the answer is simple. Time with my kids.” Benn ended his message on a gracious note. “Fight fans, thank you. Those who travelled to Vegas, those who stayed up until the early hours. I will never take your support for granted, especially on those nights things don’t go to plan.” Though it sounded like a farewell speech, there’s a historical precedent of soundly defeated fighters seeking the comforts of home and family. Winners shout about having more worlds to conquer, while the beaten man seems to crave that comfy chair and babies on his lap, anything that keeps him from getting hit in the mouth again. But, as cozy as a fallen fighter’s return home may be, it’s always a temporary fix. Benn will be back. In fact, he’s already been called out. No sooner had Benn posted his
elegant note on X when a voice from England piped up with an offer. WBO middleweight titlist Denzel Bentley told The Ring that he’d be glad to fight Benn in an all-British showdown. Bentley’s main selling point was that he holds the WBO title that Benn’s own father, the dynamic Nigel Benn, held back in the early 1990s. Granted, a welterweight who was just blown apart in two rounds may not deserve an immediate shot at a middleweight title – plenty of middleweight contenders would gripe – but stranger things have happened in boxing. At least Bentley was transparent about his proposal, admitting Benn “will be giving me an opportunity to make some big money as well.” “I think it would be a great story behind it, because it is his dad’s old belt and it’s a fight that would raise my profile a lot,” Bentley said. Kudos to Bentley for being candid about wanting the rub from Benn’s name, but it’s not a fight Benn needs right now. Bentley is a naturally bigger man and, though his name is not well-
known, he is considered a powerful force among the current middleweights. It is unlikely that this fight would happen anytime soon, not with Bentley having to fulfill a mandatory defense for the WBO against Yoenli Hernandez, though it might in the future. So where does Benn go after he reconnects with his family and starts to miss his boxing career? “Listen, Conor Benn will be done in the next year or so,” Benn’s former promoter, Eddie Hearn, told IFL TV. “He may have one more fight. Who knows? He may not even fight again, because he’s made his money.” But maybe Benn’s future isn’t so clear- cut. He has four fights left in a multi- million-dollar deal with Zuffa Boxing that runs through 2028. Not only is there still money on the table, but Benn’s name, as Bentley made clear, has some cachet even after his loss to Garcia. The obvious way to reignite Benn’s career would be a trilogy bout with Chris Eubank Jr. They’re tied at one win each, and British fans would
certainly line up for the rubber match, even if neither has a title belt. Without having to punish himself to make the welterweight limit, Benn might look more like himself at a higher weight – at least 160, where Eubank himself looked drained in their rematch. It could be the best bet for both men, since both are coming off losses. Besides, the Benn-Eubank rivalry is a kind of cottage industry by now. It almost doesn’t matter how they do against other opponents, since they are so evenly matched and have so much history together. Benn-Eubank III is a no-brainer. Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is aching for it. If Benn wants to fight in the U.K. but doesn’t want so much intense promotional buildup as Eubank would provide, he might consider British veteran Liam Smith. A former titlist with a respectable record, the 38-year- old Smith may be beyond his best but could be a worthy opponent for the returning Benn. Other names mentioned in the resurrection of Benn include Shane Mosley Jr. for a stateside fight and
Ireland’s Aaron McKenna, the undefeated and newly belted IBF middleweight titlist. Like Bentley, the tall, rangy McKenna might be a bit much for Benn so soon after Garcia, but if Benn should win a nice tune-up against someone like Liam Smith, a Benn-McKenna bout is feasible. Both Mosley and McKenna are conveniently under the Zuffa Boxing banner, which puts them on the inside track to meet Benn. Also of convenience, neither Mosley, Smith nor McKenna are traditionally heavy punchers, so if Benn feels vulnerable after being stopped by Garcia, he won’t be facing too much scary firepower from these three. Still, they all are good boxers and would provide Benn with serious challenges. Benn’s biggest challenge may be to change the current perception of him. The common narrative is that Benn built his career safely against carefully selected, slightly faded fighters and was finally stepping into the big leagues by facing Garcia, only to fail. Such analysis is a bit harsh and exaggerated. After all, Benn’s career was no more carefully managed than many others in the
business. Moreover, there’s no shame in having lost to Garcia, a fine fighter in his prime. Also, Benn took a massive risk, dropping down to 147. The move seems horribly misguided now, but that’s because we’ve seen the result. Among the few not bidding a hasty goodbye to Benn was Garcia. “He just needs to gain a little more experience,” Garcia said after their bout, explaining that Benn had come after him too quickly and recklessly. “I don’t think he has enough experience at this point, but I think he will be back.” It is a sobering reality after 27 bouts to hear that you need more experience. But Benn might find inspiration in something that happened to his own dad back in 1989. Nigel Benn had a monstrous reputation after banging out 22 consecutive KOs. But while defending his Commonwealth middleweight title against Michael Watson in London, he faded in the sixth and was knocked out by a jab. A jab! Undeterred, he regrouped and went on to have a stellar Hall of Fame career. Nigel Benn learned from a shocking loss. Perhaps Conor Benn can do the same.
28 RINGMAGAZINE.COM
RINGMAGAZINE.COM 29
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker