Promoter Eddie Hearn feels certain that Conor Benn will win by early knockout against middleweight Chris Eubank Jr. in their 12-round headliner on DAZN PPV in 10 days on April 26th. Hearn says Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) will be victorious because he’s “much better” than Eubank Jr. (34-3, 25 KOs), and training like a beast.
Eubank Jr-Benn will be fighting in front of a large crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. Hearn feels that Benn is going to go after Eubank Jr. right away on the night, looking to score a fast knockout.
Benn’s Limits
Benn, 28, is going to need to raise his game for him to defeat Eubank Jr. because he’s not looked the same in his last two fights compared to how he’d performed earlier. From 2019 to 2022, Conor had looked like a future world champion. But since coming back from his year-and-a-half layoff in 2023, he’s labored to unimpressive wins over Peter Dobson and Rodolfo Orozco. In both fights, Benn was forced to go the distance.
“Conor trains like an animal in every camp, but this camp is different. In this camp, he’s turned up a notch,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to The Stomping Ground, discussing his fighter, Conor Benn’s readiness for his match against middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr. in 10 days on April 26th in London. “Do I expect him to win? Absolutely.”
For Benn to come out victorious against Eubank Jr., he’ll need more than training like an animal. He’ll need talent and the explosive power that he once had, which has disappeared since 2023. Hearn hasn’t discussed a plan B for Conor’s career if he loses this fight.
Obviously, he can return to the welterweight division, but there’s no guarantee of success. With him struggling against Dobson and Orozco, Benn would stand no chance against the welterweight champions Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, Brian Norman Jr., and Mario Barrios. If the focus is just on Benn getting a big payday, Hearn could arrange for him to get a world title shot. He wouldn’t deserve to be fighting for a world title if he’s coming off a loss to Eubank Jr, but that won’t stop him from making the fight.
“I also know how tough and dangerous this fight is. He’s [Benn] coming up two weight classes to fight a much bigger man, but he’s a guy that he’s much better than,” said Hearn, talking about what Conor is up against fighting middleweight Eubank. “That’s the reality. “A guy that he trains much harder than. I think it’s a guy that he wants it much more than.”
Domestic Level Ceiling
Benn has a built-in excuse if he loses. He can blame it on moving up two weight classes to fight a bigger, more experienced fighter at 160. His fans will be sympathetic and won’t come down too hard on him. However, if Conor chooses to continue to fight low-level opposition at 147, he’s going to be invisible and will be seen as a domestic-level fighter who is ignored by non-Brits.
“I know Eubank will be up for this fight. It means a lot to him, but Conor has to start this fight fast and early, and if he does, I believe he wins this fight by knockout inside six rounds. Eubank has been brilliant in the build-up. He’s a character.
“He’s got people telling him what to say, and I believe he’ll be on form next week. That noise at Tottenham Stadium. It’ll be epic, and you know how Conor fights. He’s not going to come out and start feeling around. He’s going to come full throttle to knock Eubank out early, and that’s what I believe he’s going to do,” said Hearn.
Last Updated on 04/16/2025
