David Avanesyan’s trainer Carl Greaves would like a bit of honesty from Conor Benn’s team.
The European welterweight champion has long been linked to a fight against the improved Benn but at no time has it ever felt realistic that the fight would be made. One side says one thing, the other side says another and round we go. But recently Avanesyan’s promoter Frank Warren put it out there that he would pay for his man to fight Benn on DAZN, where Matchroom shows are now broadcast. For now, though both men are going different routes. Benn is due to return in April while Avanesyan will defend his title in March.
“I don’t think it’s leading anywhere because the bottom line is Conor Benn, (promoter) Eddie Hearn, (trainer) Tony Sims they just don’t want the fight,” Greaves told Boxing Social’s Andi Purewal.
The ex-pro and former British super-featherweight title challenger continued by saying, “They can come out with all the excuses in the world, they can go round the houses and say this, say that but let’s be honest they don’t want the fight. I’d rather they be straight about it.
“Eddie did say he didn’t think Conor was ready for David and then in an interview he said he thinks Conor beats David. It’s all confusing to me but we’ve always been very confident. I think David beats Conor pretty easily and I think they know that as well. I’d rather them be honest and just say that instead of saying David is not a big enough name and that he wouldn’t attract a crowd. It’s a big fight, everybody’s talking about that fight, everybody wants to see that fight, it would draw 20,000 in the O2 [Arena] no problem.
“They don’t want someone who’s on a roll, who has plenty of ambition and who is still fighting very well at the moment and is strong. They want to go a different route and get a past name that’s got a bit of pedigree but from the past.”
Click here to watch the rest of the interview where Carl talks about Vergil Ortiz v Michael McKinson, the future of former British super-featherweight champion Sam Bowen and much more.