By Charles Brun: Eddie Hearn says he’s got NO interest in matching David Avanesyan, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, or Vergil Ortiz Jr. against Conor Benn for his next fight in April.
Hearn states that he doesn’t want to mess things up for the 25-year-old Conor Benn (20-0, 13 KOs), who he says is already a “Global superstar” by putting him in with Boots Ennis (28-0, 26 KOs) or Vergil Ortiz Jr. (18-0, 18 KOs).
When the time is right, Hearn says Conor will fight Ennis and Vergil and beat them both. But for the time being, Hearn wants to match Benn against Maurice Hooker next in April and then Adrien Broner.
Hearn reveals that he sent an offer to the former WBO light welterweight champion ‘Mighty Mo’ Hooker (27-2-3, 18 KOs) for him to face Benn in April, and he’s waiting for his reply.
Hooker, 32, has lost two out of his last three fights, losing by knockouts to Vergil Ortiz Jr in 2o21 and Jose Ramirez in 2019. The 23-year-old Ortiz battered Hooker in a one-sided fight before he bowed out in the seventh round.
Hearn wants a bigger name for Benn
“I actually said one or two more fights,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV when reminded about his comments about letting Conor Benn fight Avanesyan in one more fight. “David Avanesyan could be an option, but I would prefer a bigger name.
“If we can get Broner, if we can get Hooker. I don’t rule out Avanesyan. He turned down a world title eliminator to fight Liam Taylor. I rate Avanesyan a level above [Robert] Guerrero and a level above Hooker.
“Conor Benn would take that fight [with Avanesyan] in a heartbeat, but we got to look at the money, and if [trainer] Tony Sims feels that’s the right fight at the right time. Hopefully, we can get Avanesyan in the ring.
“No,” said Hearn when asked if Benn vs. Avanesyan would do big numbers in the UK. “I think it’s a really good fight, but not at the same levels. Is it as big as Adrien Broner globally? Not even close. Is it as big as Maurice Hooker? No.
“The numbers for him [Conor Benn] for the Algieri fight in America were huge, and we have to think about that market as well. David Avanesyan is a good fighter, but he’s not a big draw.
“‘Ah, Conor Benn is scared of Avanesyan.’ Conor Benn isn’t scared of no one. It’s a dangerous, dangerous fight,” Hearn said.
Well, at least Hearn admits that Avanesyan is a “dangerous” fight for Benn rather than brushing him off by saying that he’s not popular enough to let Conor fight him.
You can argue that the guys that Hearn has been matching Benn against lately aren’t super well known in the U.S among the casual boxing fans. These are Conor’s last three opponents:
- Chris Algieri
- Adrian Granados
- Samuel Vargas
The only American boxing fans that would be familiar with those fighters are hardcore fans and people that have been following the sport for years. Algieri, 37, hasn’t been involved in a significant fight in the United States since 2016, when he lost to Errol Spence Jr.
Eddie rejects Jaron Ennis or Vergil Ortiz for Conor
“No,” said Hearn when asked if he would accept a fight for Benn if he were offered Vergil Ortiz Jr. or Jaron Ennis for him. “And I don’t see him [Benn] that far away from those people.
“When you’ve got a global superstar like Conor Benn, you don’t f*** it up by a big balls promoter. ‘Conor Benn will fight anyone. Give me Boots Ennis. Give me Vergil Ortiz.’
“When the time is right, he will fight them, and he will beat them,” said Hearn in predicting that Benn will defeat Boots Ennis and Vergil Ortiz one of these days. “But it’s all about getting him in the position to do that, and I rate Avanesyan.
“There’s another level above Hooker, Algieri, and Guerrero, and I put Avanesyan in that level. Conor Benn will fight him no problem, but if we can have a bigger fight [against Broner, Hooker, or 38-year-old Robert Guerrero], a bigger profile, bigger money, of course, we’ll look at that as well,” said Hearn.
The way Benn has looked in his last couple of fights, he’s NOT going to beat Boots Ennis or Vergil Ortiz Jr. in the future, as Hearn says. Interestingly, those two fighters are younger than Benn, but they’re far more advanced because their promoters match them against quality fighters.