Conor Benn will likely have his next fight confirmed this week.
The welterweight is in talks to meet Chris Eubank Jr. in a catchweight contest and recently issued a timeline of a 48-hour window for the fight to be confirmed.
That didn’t happen, though, and the pair’s 156-pound showdown is targeted for October 8 at the O2 Arena in London.
Eddie Hearn, Benn’s promoter, has said that the date and venue will be Benn’s next fight date and venue regardless of the opponent.
During his latest Instagram Live session, the Matchroom head honcho said:
“We are hopeful of announcing Conor Benn’s next fight this week, for sure.
“We are in the process of finalising it and I think, any moment, we will have it signed.”
Whether or not that fight will be against Eubank Jr remains to be seen, Hearn is still being coy about that possible matchup. When asked ‘Benn or Eubank?’ the promoter replied:
“We’ll see. I’m not sure that fight gets made but it’s one of the biggest fights that could be made in boxing, you know the history.“I believe Conor Benn can beat Chris Eubank Jr”
Nigel Benn’s son plies his trade at welterweight, which is 147lbs, while Eubank Jr. – the offspring of former two-time world champion Eubank Sr. – has boxed as high as super-middleweight and is currently campaigning at around 160lbs.
Benn is giving up a sizeable weight advantage to take the fight against the second-generation Eubank (32-2, 23 KOs) and that has led to his team being keen to insert a rehydration clause into the contest deal which will see them having to weigh in again on the morning of the fight.
Eubank Jr. was last in the ring in an impressive 12-round demolition job of Liam Williams back in February, while Benn headlined Manchester Arena in a defence of his WBA Continental welterweight crown back in April against durable South African veteran Chris van Heerden who was stopped inside two.
The fight, which Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn denied for a period of time was even under discussion, is expected to be broadcasted on DAZN PPV with estimates suggesting that the winner will pocket the majority of the total purse.
Kalle Sauerland, the head of global boxing at Wasserman Boxing, was asked about the progress of talks regarding the fight. “We’re talking,” he told reporters during fight week of Josh Kelly’s win over Lucas Brian Bastida at the Vertu Motors Arena last Saturday in Newcastle. “We have other options, they have other options, but we’re talking.”