With a ring return set for June, Conor Benn has made it clear who he wants out of his three potential opponents.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has been open in revealing the names, as well as teasing an American opponent.
Sharing a post on social media, Benn confirmed the order in which he fancies facing the fighters is Chris Eubank Jr, followed by Kell Brook and, lastly, Manny Pacquiao.
Many consider ‘PacMan’ to be the frontrunner, although, if Benn has his way entirely, he’ll reignite the familial feud with Eubank Jr that was achingly close to being settled in the ring last October.
The fighter from Brighton is caught at a crossroads, though. The fight he took in January against Liam Smith was his first stoppage loss, and there’s a contractual rematch clause that many fans expect him to use.
Pacquiao’s team have publicly stated their interest in the Benn fight, whilst Brook has recently flown overseas to start training camp on the promise of ‘big news’ coming soon.
Whoever is in the opposite corner, eyeballs will be on the event.
It’s Benn’s first outing since entering a doping scandal of which he still hasn’t come out of. In fact, it will land overseas purely because the British Boxing Board of Control will not sanction him to fight in his home country.
Despite the Board’s investigation still active, albeit frustratingly stalled, the WBC have returned the 26-year-old to their rankings and another governing body will sanction him to fight.
The WBC welterweight ranking doesn’t mean much in this return fight, given two of the opponents – Brook and Pacquiao – are currently in retirement and the final – Eubank – is in a different weight class.