Youth Will Be Key: Hearn Predicts Benn Advantage In Eubank Jr. Rematch Despite Decisive Loss

Promoter Eddie Hearn says he thinks his fighter, Conor Benn, will have an advantage over Chris Eubank Jr. in terms of his youth and freshness for the rematch. The main success Benn, 28, had last Saturday was in the first three rounds.

Benn lost the fight to Eubank Jr. (35-3, 25 KOs) by a 12-round unanimous decision by the scores 116-112 x 3 last Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The two already have a contractual rematch. Benn (23-1, 14 KOs) already told Hearn that the rematch will be even more of a war. It may be, but it’s not going to go well for Conor.

Once Eubank Jr. changed his style in round four by moving to the inside, Benn was helpless the remainder of the night. He appeared to lose every round from four on.

The rematch could be more of the same with Eubank Jr. neutralizing Benn’s speed and power by fighting on the inside. That’s something that won’t change, no matter how many times they fight. Conor is the type who needs to be at a distance to generate power and speed on his shots. On the inside, he’s no more powerful than Eubank Jr.

The Youth Factor?

“I think we’re at an advantage in the rematch in terms of our freshness. That took a lot out of both men, but Conor is still young. He’s back in the gym now, and Eubank, it took a huge amount out of him,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to Boxing Social, giving an update on Conor Benn after his loss to Chris Eubank Jr. last Saturday night.

It doesn’t matter if Benn is young. Hearn has been talking about Devin Haney potentially being worn down from his last fight against Ryan Garcia.

Haney, 26, is two years younger than the 28-year-old Benn. He didn’t get nearly as many times by Ryan as Conor did in his loss to Eubank Jr. It’s unlikely that Benn will be fresh in his rematch with Eubank Jr. It doesn’t matter that he’s young.

“They both signed for the rematch. That’s one of the reasons we took the deal because we knew it was too fights and all the terms are the same,” said Hearn. “I said at the press conference that you’ve got to look out for your guy. You don’t want too many fights like that because it does take it out on you.”

Limited Alternatives

Benn doesn’t have any other great options for big payday fights, and this may be his only chance to get another giant payday. He’s not going to make similar money fighting Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.

Guys like Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia likely won’t be interested in fighting Benn if he loses to Eubank Jr. again. He would have to prove himself at 147 by beating Ennis, WBO champion Brian Norman Jr., or WBC belt-holder Mario Barrios. Conor’s chances against those champions are slim. He can’t drag out another older fighter and make big bucks.

Eubank Jr. is 35, and Benn’s other recent notable opponents were old as well. Chris Algieri is 37. Chris Van Heerden 37, Adrian Grandos 35 and Samuel Vargas 36. Conor has been fighting older fighters for years, and Eubank Jr. is just another example.

Benn’s Resolve

“I said to Conor, ‘Maybe you can look at 147.’ He looked at me and said, ‘If you think that fight was a war, wait until you see the rematch.’ I feel like the inactivity not being a factor now [for Benn], feeling more comfortable around that weight, we’re very confident with the rematch. It will be brutal again,” said Hearn.

“We’ve signed for it. Eubank signed for it, and we expect it to happen. Canelo is a different animal than Eubank up at 168. Conor Benn is a world class welterweight. Canelo-Eubank won’t end well. And if I’m Eubank, I fancy my chances in the rematch more. And he’s probably going to be paid more money to fight Conor Benn than to fight Canelo,” said Hearn.