Promoter Eddie Hearn has admitted that he has been surprised by the prospect of Conor Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) possibly facing one of the biggest names in the sport in Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs).
Benn, who returned earlier this month against Peter Dobson in Las Vegas, continued his career following his ongoing battle with the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) and United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) after his clearance for two failed anti-doping tests in 2022 before his canceled fight with Chris Eubank Jr.
Dobson lost a unanimous decision, who then revealed his ideal list of opponents, which included Devin Haney, Chris Eubank Jr, Marios Barrios, a retired Kell Brook and Davis, of which Davis physically is by far the smallest in stature and size but the most significant in profile and standing.
Speaking to IFLTV, Hearn confirmed he has submitted an offer to Davis for a prospective fight with Benn.
“We’ve made Tank an offer,” Hearn said. “It’s a big offer, and there’s a lot of upside on pay-per-view and gate that I think he needs to explore as well.
“It’s not really a fight that I anticipated, but I think it can happen. If we can just be sensible and sit down and talk through the numbers, I think there’s enough money in the pot to keep everybody happy.”
Following his victory, Benn has been active on social media, goading fighters and dismissing would-be challengers ahead of an essential moment in his career as the unbeaten 27-year-old aims to restore his standing with the BBBofC in the coming weeks. Benn remains unlicenced by the BBBofC, with both the Board and UKAD appealing Benn’s clearance from the Independent Anti-Doping Panel in July 0f 2023.
Despite the ongoing issues between Benn and BBBofC, Hearn is confident Benn will be able to progress into a major fight and added that Benn preferred Davis as his ideal next opponent.
“Conor loves the fight [against Davis],” Hearn continued. “He’s been on at me non-stop since he’s been at him on social media, asking me to make the fight and we’ll see where we get to this week.
“He’s going to be in a massive fight next. We’ve got the case coming up in a couple of weeks, and once that’s dealt with, we’ll be able to see much more clearly where he’s going to fight and who he’s going to fight. Conor has to be in a massive fight next, and Tank is one of the biggest fights in the world.
“Every fight involving Conor Benn is a big one, and it has to be a name next.”
