"What are you afraid of?" - Eddie Hearn left baffled by Chris Eubank Jr. being unwilling to fight Conor Benn
Conor Benn competes several weight classes below Chris Eubank Jr., with the pair having fought at welterweight and middleweight, respectively, since 2019.
Having entered negotiations to compete in the ring on two occasions, the fight is yet to be made, and Benn's promoter recently shared his confusion as to why 'NextGen' won't agree a deal to face the undefeated pugilist.
Eddie Hearn, the chairman of Matchroom Boxing and Benn's promoter, was recently interviewed by Boxing Social.
He was asked for his thoughts on the comments of Eubank Jr.'s father, who stated that his son won't compete at middleweight (160 pounds) again due to concerns about cutting the weight.
The two prior attempts to organize Eubank Jr. vs. Benn were scheduled to take place at middleweight, leaving Eddie Hearn confused about Chris Eubank Sr.'s comments.
Hearn said this:
"Chris Eubank Sr. has no influence or nothing to do with Chris Eubank Jr.'s career. Chris Eubank Jr. has been at 160 [pounds] for ages. What about Conor Benn going from 147 to 160, no one's going, 'That's dangerous!' You're saying it's dangerous for Chris Eubank to continue fighting at the weight division he's boxed at most of his career?"
He continued:
"It's down to Chris Eubank Jr. if he wants to take the challenge of fighting Conor Benn. When you say to someone, 'You can make three to four times more to fight Conor, who is two divisions below the fighters you will be facing.' And you're still not choosing to accept the challenge, I ask why? What are you afraid of?"
Catch Eddie Hearn's comments below (8:44):
Conor Benn shares stern prediction for upcoming clash with Peter Dobson
Conor Benn will meet fellow undefeated boxer Peter Dobson (16-0) in Las Vegas, Nevada, this weekend.
'The Destroyer' continues his return to the sport after serving a lengthy suspension for adverse findings in two drug tests taken before his scheduled fight with Chris Euabnk Jr. in October 2021.
The Brit bounced back from his untimely suspension with a unanimous decision victory over Rodolfo Orozco in September. But after facing a stiffer challenge than expected in the shape of Orozco, Benn will be looking to make a statement against Dobson.
Ahead of his fight, the undefeated welterweight shared a prediction for fight night, and said this:
"I wouldn't be surprised if this fight doesn't go passed one round. That's how I feel... I'm coming in there to take his head off [in the] first round."
Catch Conor Benn's comments below (6:33):