Conor Benn says he wants a fight against Devin Haney at 147 if his rematch with Chris Eubank Jr. doesn’t happen next. The recently beaten Benn (23-1, 14 KOs) says he “prefers” a fight against Haney (32-0, 15 KOs).
Reality Check at Welterweight
This choice says a lot about Conor Benn’s self-belief and goals for his career. If you’re choosing Haney, it means this is just about money. However, who can Benn actually beat at 147 of the talented opposition? I can’t think of one fighter that he’s capable of defeating. He would be overmatched against these fighters:
– Jaron Ennis
– Brian Norman Jr.
– Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero
– Shakhram Giyasov
– Karen Chukhadzhian
– Mario Barrios
– Eimantas Stanionis
He chose Haney after his terrible performances against Jose Ramirez and Ryan Garcia. Choosing him makes it clear that Benn is focused on business moves and not on being the best. The 26-year-old Haney looked against Ramirez, running around the ring; he’s a bottom-level fighter—we’re talking rock bottom.
Unfortunately for Conor, the chances of him getting a fight against Haney before he’s beaten again are slim. Devin is likely to fight Ryan Garcia next, and if it’s not him, it’s going to be someone else who will defeat him.
Turki Alalshikh will want value after letting Haney fight a tune-up against Jose Ramirez in his huge card last Friday night at Times Square in New York. Haney embassed himself against his past best fighter, throwing only 224 punches the entire 12-round fight. He spent most of the contest running.
Haney on Benn’s Radar
“It’s definitely Eubank because if I don’t do Eubank next, that ship has sailed,” said Conor Benn to Ariel Helwani’s YouTube channel about who he wants to fight next. “So, it has to be Eubank next. If it’s not, that chapter is closed. Then I would drop down to 147, and I would prefer Haney out of the lot of them.”
As you can see, Benn is picking low-hanging fruit, choosing Haney over one of the predators at 147 that would expose him as a little more than a domestic-level scrapper. That’s basically what he is.
The Excuse Factory
“He was a lot bigger. Watching the highlights, ‘Oh, he’s that much bigger,’” said Conor, whining about Eubank Jr. being bigger than him, sounding like he’s using that as a belated excuse for his defeat. “When you watch the highlights, ‘He’s a lot bigger than me,’ but then again, I am a welterweight.”
What Benn is doing here is cooking up excuses for his loss to Eubank Jr. It’s pathetic to see this. Instead of just admitting that he lacked the talent to beat the over-the-hill nonachiever Eubank Jr, Benn is using his weight disadvantage as the reason he lost. That’s pretty low.
“I think I went into the ring on fight night three pounds over 160. So, I’m definitely not a 160-lb fighter,” Benn said about his weight against Eubank Jr. during the fight.
Well, if Benn isn’t a 160-pound fighter, why did he agree to fight Eubank Jr.? We already know. The cash. Why is Conor bellyaching about it after getting all those millions? Benn is wealthier now than more talented welterweights who have actual ability.
“As far as I’m aware, contracts have already been signed,” said Conor about his rematch with Eubank Jr. “I’m hearing September. Potentially [Tottenham] or Wembley [Stadium in London],” said Benn about where the rematch with Eubank Jr. could be staged.
The Eubank Jr.-Benn 2 rematch will be another circus fight with no meaning, just like their previous bout on April 26th, which Conor lost by a 12-round unanimous decision by the scores 116-112 x 3. Benn lost every round from the fourth after Eubank Jr. adjusted by changing his fighting style to take the action to the inside.
Last Updated on 05/07/2025
