Eddie Hearn has revealed that Conor Benn shot down the idea of fights with two reigning world champions before their promotional split.
Benn twice fought Chris Eubank Jr at middleweight during 2025, avenging his first career defeat in their November rematch before announcing a planned return to the welterweight division.
‘The Destroyer’ then made the surprising move from career-long promoter Hearn to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing – albeit for a one-fight deal – and marked this partnership with decision win against Regis Prograis this past weekend.
Underwhelmed by the performance of his former fighter, Hearn told Boxing Now that he believes Benn to be more effective at super-welterweight or even middleweight. The promoter then revealed that he had presented the opportunity to face IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker, or compete against the IBF’s 154 champion, Josh Kelly.
“He knows his level. I wanted him to fight Lewis Crocker. We went for lunch and I said, ‘mate, you could fight Lewis Crocker, that is a great fight. That is a very tough fight but, if you win that fight, you are a world champion’.
“[He said], ‘I don’t want to fight Lewis Crocker, I don’t like Billy Nelson [Crocker’s previous trainer]’, I said ‘What the f**k has that got to do with it? Just fight him’. Then, we talked about Josh Kelly, [he said], ‘Nah, f**k Josh Kelly’.”
“I actually think that he is right [to do that] because he is only going to make a few million to fight those guys and Zuffa just sp**ked their load giving him 15 [million] to fight a bloke who couldn’t even stand up!”
Though Benn was uninterested in those champions, he has made it absolutely clear that he wants WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia next, and talks seem to be progressing quickly.