"Have a warm up fight” - Conor Benn doesn’t think Devin Haney is ready to face him at 147 pounds
Conor Benn will continue his return to boxing against Peter Dobson on Feb. 7 in Las Vegas. 'The Destroyer' was suspended in 2023 after failing two drug tests ahead of his scheduled clash with Chris Eubank Jr. at the end of 2022.
Benn made his return to the sport in September last year, where he faced a stiff test in the shape of Rodolfo Orozco. He secured a unanimous decision victory, and appeared to be heading towards an agreement to fight Eubank Jr. in December. However, the fight fell through, with both Benn and his promoter placing the blame on 'NextGen'.
As he prepares for his fight against Dobson, 'The Destroyer' was interviewed by Fight Hub TV and was asked about a potential fight with Devin Haney, the WBC super lightweight (140 lbs.) champion.
He said this:
"Not now, for him. If he wants to come up to 147 [pounds] and fight, I'd say have a warm up fight at 147. Then let's go, let's run it."
Listen to Conor Benn's comments below from 7:15:
Eddie Hearn slams Chris Eubank Jr. for his part in the collapse of the Conor Benn fight
On several occasions, Conor Benn's promoter Eddie Hearn has said that a fight between his client and Chris Eubank Jr. is one of the biggest fights in British boxing.
The history of Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr. added more hype to the fight when it was scheduled to take place in October, 2022. However, after failing two drug tests, 'The Destroyer' and Eubank Jr. began trading words, which added a new dynamic to their budding rivalry.
Ahead of their second attempt to organize the fight, Benn described his clash with 'NextGen' as "personal." There was even more anticipation for their potential clash last year than there had been for the initial scheduling of the fight.
Hearn once appeared certain that the pair would meet in the squared circle in 2023, but after the collapse of negotiations, he took aim at Eubank Jr. for his role in the failed fight discussions.
During an interview withiFL TV, Hearn said:
"[Kalle Sauerland] couldn't get a deal done with Eubank. That's the bottom line... Delusion [was Eubank Jr.'s problem]. To be fair to Conor, Conor said to me, 'I don't think he'll take the fight.'... I don't share his opinion, because I've seen the offer. It's so much money, it's 3x more money than Eubank has ever made, probably more."
Listen to Conor Benn's promoter below from 3:10: